thumb pain

[heathermc75]

I sprained my thumb 4 weeks ago after a fall in which I bent my thumb backward.  I held off going to the doctor for a week, since I didn't have any signs of bruising, just some swelling.After a week, I still had pain on my palm side right under the metacarpal joint, on the outside part of my thumb.  So my dr took x-rays which were negative and checked my range of motion of my thumb and said it was sprained.  He told me to use a thumb spica splint for a week or two.

I used the splint for 9 days (it was a thumb/wrist splint which seemed a bit overkill for a thumb sprain).  It was stiff from the splint at first but after a day or two I could move my thumb better, but it still hurt below the metacarpal joint when I pressed on it.  So I went back  to the dr, who said it would take time to get over the stiffness, also it didn't seem to hurt on the spot that day.
  
That was 2 weeks ago, and this spot is still hurting enough that I'm worried.  My thumb still hurts to bend across my palm, and to open thing that requires twisting.  Could I have reinjuried it? I do have little kids that I'm picking up and dealing with, but there was never a moment that I hurt it as bad as the fall.  Should I have worn the spica splint for longer?  How long does thumb pain go on after a sprain?

Thanks,
Heather

[laxbro2013]

I have a similar situation.  The explanation is long though.
I would open a thread but the admin wont let me

[heathermc75]

Thanks for commenting on my post.  I'm now 5 weeks out and I still have this pain below my mcp joint on the palmar side.

Would you recommend wearing the splint again now? if so, for how long?  

How long would you recommend waiting before seeing the dr again?  I went 1 week after the injury and again 3 weeks later (with the dr telling me it would be stiff for "awhile")

Other than the initial x-ray and moving my thumb around are there any ways of checking ligament damage or "soft tissue"?

thanks for your answers!

Heather

[abhijeet v ghosh]

hello buddy,
sometimes an aponeurosis gets involved in these cases which is refered as Sterner's lesion.

here was no harm in wearing that splint. however, here we advice splints for 3 weeks because it takes that much time for the ligaments to heal normally.

Hope you got my point.

regards
abhijeet