Swollen Thumb Joint or Knuckle Causes, Remedies, and Treatments

You use your thumbs throughout the day for holding, grasping, and opening objects, typing on your computer or smartphone, flipping through channels on your TV, and more.

You’re likely to notice when something goes wrong with your thumbs when doing everyday tasks becomes more complicated.

One common issue is swelling, or enlargement. Parts of the body usually swell up when fluid begins to collect inside them due to injury or illness.

There are several possible reasons why your thumb might swell up. Some are easily treatable at home, while others are more serious and require medical treatment.

The thumb is made up of three short bones connected by three joints. One joint is located just above your wrist bone, and the other two are located about halfway up your thumb and near the tip of your thumb.

There are different reasons why one or more of your thumb joints might be swollen.

Arthritis

Thumb arthritis is common as we age. In most cases, it’s osteoarthritis — the age-related breakdown of joint tissue — that causes a swollen thumb joint, especially at the lowest joint (called the basal joint).

It can also be caused by reactive arthritis, which is triggered by an infection in the body.

Symptoms of arthritis in the thumb include swelling, pain, and stiffness at the basal (lower) thumb joint.

Autoimmune diseases

Your body’s immune system is designed to fight foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria so you stay healthy.

Autoimmune diseases trick your body’s immune system into attacking itself instead. A few of these diseases may cause swelling in your thumb joints. They include:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• psoriatic arthritis
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Sjögren’s syndrome

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases vary, but some common ones include:

• fatigue
• sore muscles
• swelling
• redness
• low fever
• difficulty concentrating
• numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• skin rashes
• hair loss

Bone cancer

Bone cancer will affect about 3,500 new people in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. Often, bone cancer occurs secondarily to other types of cancers that may affect the body — especially breast, lung, kidney, thyroid, and prostate cancer.

The thumb and middle finger are most commonly affected by secondary bone cancer. Signs of bone cancer in the thumb include:

• swelling that continues to enlarge over time
• redness
• pain
• loss of mobility
• cancer in another part of the body

Dactylitis

Dactylitis is a secondary condition most commonly caused by psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, it may also be caused by reactive arthritis.

Dactylitis causes your thumbs, and usually other fingers or toes, to swell so much that they look like small sausages. You may also experience pain and fever.

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a condition that can cause pain and swelling at your wrist where your thumb attaches to your forearm. It’s caused by chronic overuse of the wrist, often by repetitive movements such as lifting a child into a car seat, carrying groceries, or playing golf or racket sports.

Symptoms include:

• pain and swelling near the base of your thumb
• difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you’re holding or pinching something
• a sticking sensation in your thumb when you move it

Fractured finger

A fracture can result from impact or trauma hard enough to break the bones in your thumb. A fracture can affect any part of the thumb, including the base. Symptoms include:

• swelling
• bruising
• pain
• warmth
• limited range of motion

Gout

Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body. When gout flares up, it causes joint pain, swelling, and warmth. If you don’t seek treatment, you could develop permanent lumps in your joints, skin, and body tissues.

Sprained or jammed thumb

Sprains, or overstretching or tearing of ligaments, can affect your thumbs. It’s common in athletes, but anyone may experience a sprain when their thumb becomes hyperextended at one or more of its joints.

Symptoms of a thumb sprain include:

• swelling
• pain
• redness or bruising
• dislocation
• lack of mobility

A jammed thumb can result from an impact to the tip of your thumb that pushes it back into your hand at the joint.

A jammed thumb may swell at any joint, but is likely to be especially swollen at the joint connecting it to the hand.

As with sprains in general, other symptoms include pain, lack of mobility, and redness.

Infection

It’s possible to develop an infection in your thumb joint that causes swelling. Causes for infection include an animal bite or scratch, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria getting into a wound.

Symptoms of infection include:

• swelling
• redness
• fever
• pain
• pus coming from a wound on your thumb

Pregnancy

In pregnancy, the body produces extra blood and fluid to support a developing baby. This extra fluid commonly causes swelling, especially in the hands, face, legs, ankles, and feet.

Swelling is especially common in the fifth month, and can increase during your third trimester.

Medical emergency

If you notice sudden swelling in your hands and face, you could be experiencing preeclampsia, a condition causing high blood pressure and protein in your urine. See a doctor right away if you have these symptoms.

Trigger finger

Trigger finger is a type of thumb overuse injury that causes stiffness and swelling at the base of the thumb where it connects to the palm of your hand.

Other symptoms include soreness, tenderness, and a clicking or snapping noise when you move or try to bend your finger.

Some conditions affecting the base of the thumb can also affect one or both of the knuckles on your thumb, including:

• arthritis
• autoimmune diseases
• bone cancer
• dactylitis
• gout
• injury such as a fracture, sprain, or jammed thumb
• infection
• pregnancy
• trigger finger

Other causes of swelling of the thumb at the knuckles include:

Bruised knuckle

Bruised knuckles are often caused by a hard injury from a fall, fistfight, auto collision, or athletics. These injuries cause the knuckle to swell and bleed under the skin, even if no bones are broken.

If you have a bruised knuckle, you’ll notice:

• immediate pain on the knuckle and sides of the affected finger
• discoloration
• bleeding
• swelling
• tenderness
• lack of mobility
• popping sounds
• inability to make a fist

In severe cases, you may experience hand numbness and weakness.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis, swelling caused by overuse of the hand’s tendons, is common. You may notice swelling at the knuckles in your thumb, and pain and stiffness when you try to bend them.

Flare-ups of tendonitis symptoms may appear when you engage in repetitive movements of your thumbs, such as when picking up heavy objects or using a cellphone.

Swelling between the thumb and index finger is less common than swelling affecting the joints. However, when swelling does occur, it’s most likely caused by De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Other conditions causing swelling in this area include:

• autoimmune disease
• bone cancer
• dactylitis
• gout
• infection
• jammed finger
• pregnancy

It’s possible to treat many causes of a swollen thumb at home with a short recovery time. However, more serious causes may require medical treatment. You should schedule an appointment with a doctor if your swollen thumb:

• lasts more than 3 days or happens more than 3 times every month
• was caused by trauma or serious injury, such as a fracture
• is very painful
• isn’t resolved with home remedies
• was bitten by an animal or there is a wound on your hand that is leaking pus

Additionally, go to the doctor immediately if you are pregnant and your hands or face suddenly becomes swollen. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you don’t already have a doctor.

There are many possible causes of a swollen thumb. Many shouldn’t be concerning, while others are more serious.

How you treat your swollen thumb depends on its cause. When in doubt, schedule an appointment to see a doctor, especially if the swelling is accompanied by pain, redness, and fever.

Swollen Thumb Joint or Knuckle Causes, Remedies, and Treatments

You use your thumbs throughout the day for holding, grasping, and opening objects, typing on your computer or smartphone, flipping through channels on your TV, and more.

You’re likely to notice when something goes wrong with your thumbs when doing everyday tasks becomes more complicated.

One common issue is swelling, or enlargement. Parts of the body usually swell up when fluid begins to collect inside them due to injury or illness.

There are several possible reasons why your thumb might swell up. Some are easily treatable at home, while others are more serious and require medical treatment.

The thumb is made up of three short bones connected by three joints. One joint is located just above your wrist bone, and the other two are located about halfway up your thumb and near the tip of your thumb.

There are different reasons why one or more of your thumb joints might be swollen.

Arthritis

Thumb arthritis is common as we age. In most cases, it’s osteoarthritis — the age-related breakdown of joint tissue — that causes a swollen thumb joint, especially at the lowest joint (called the basal joint).

It can also be caused by reactive arthritis, which is triggered by an infection in the body.

Symptoms of arthritis in the thumb include swelling, pain, and stiffness at the basal (lower) thumb joint.

Autoimmune diseases

Your body’s immune system is designed to fight foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria so you stay healthy.

Autoimmune diseases trick your body’s immune system into attacking itself instead. A few of these diseases may cause swelling in your thumb joints. They include:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• psoriatic arthritis
• systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
• Sjögren’s syndrome

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases vary, but some common ones include:

• fatigue
• sore muscles
• swelling
• redness
• low fever
• difficulty concentrating
• numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• skin rashes
• hair loss

Bone cancer

Bone cancer will affect about 3,500 new people in 2019, according to the American Cancer Society. Often, bone cancer occurs secondarily to other types of cancers that may affect the body — especially breast, lung, kidney, thyroid, and prostate cancer.

The thumb and middle finger are most commonly affected by secondary bone cancer. Signs of bone cancer in the thumb include:

• swelling that continues to enlarge over time
• redness
• pain
• loss of mobility
• cancer in another part of the body

Dactylitis

Dactylitis is a secondary condition most commonly caused by psoriatic and rheumatoid arthritis. In some cases, it may also be caused by reactive arthritis.

Dactylitis causes your thumbs, and usually other fingers or toes, to swell so much that they look like small sausages. You may also experience pain and fever.

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis

De Quervain’s tenosynovitis is a condition that can cause pain and swelling at your wrist where your thumb attaches to your forearm. It’s caused by chronic overuse of the wrist, often by repetitive movements such as lifting a child into a car seat, carrying groceries, or playing golf or racket sports.

Symptoms include:

• pain and swelling near the base of your thumb
• difficulty moving your thumb and wrist when you’re holding or pinching something
• a sticking sensation in your thumb when you move it

Fractured finger

A fracture can result from impact or trauma hard enough to break the bones in your thumb. A fracture can affect any part of the thumb, including the base. Symptoms include:

• swelling
• bruising
• pain
• warmth
• limited range of motion

Gout

Gout is caused by a buildup of uric acid in the body. When gout flares up, it causes joint pain, swelling, and warmth. If you don’t seek treatment, you could develop permanent lumps in your joints, skin, and body tissues.

Sprained or jammed thumb

Sprains, or overstretching or tearing of ligaments, can affect your thumbs. It’s common in athletes, but anyone may experience a sprain when their thumb becomes hyperextended at one or more of its joints.

Symptoms of a thumb sprain include:

• swelling
• pain
• redness or bruising
• dislocation
• lack of mobility

A jammed thumb can result from an impact to the tip of your thumb that pushes it back into your hand at the joint.

A jammed thumb may swell at any joint, but is likely to be especially swollen at the joint connecting it to the hand.

As with sprains in general, other symptoms include pain, lack of mobility, and redness.

Infection

It’s possible to develop an infection in your thumb joint that causes swelling. Causes for infection include an animal bite or scratch, or antibiotic-resistant bacteria getting into a wound.

Symptoms of infection include:

• swelling
• redness
• fever
• pain
• pus coming from a wound on your thumb

Pregnancy

In pregnancy, the body produces extra blood and fluid to support a developing baby. This extra fluid commonly causes swelling, especially in the hands, face, legs, ankles, and feet.

Swelling is especially common in the fifth month, and can increase during your third trimester.

Medical emergency

If you notice sudden swelling in your hands and face, you could be experiencing preeclampsia, a condition causing high blood pressure and protein in your urine. See a doctor right away if you have these symptoms.

Trigger finger

Trigger finger is a type of thumb overuse injury that causes stiffness and swelling at the base of the thumb where it connects to the palm of your hand.

Other symptoms include soreness, tenderness, and a clicking or snapping noise when you move or try to bend your finger.

Some conditions affecting the base of the thumb can also affect one or both of the knuckles on your thumb, including:

• arthritis
• autoimmune diseases
• bone cancer
• dactylitis
• gout
• injury such as a fracture, sprain, or jammed thumb
• infection
• pregnancy
• trigger finger

Other causes of swelling of the thumb at the knuckles include:

Bruised knuckle

Bruised knuckles are often caused by a hard injury from a fall, fistfight, auto collision, or athletics. These injuries cause the knuckle to swell and bleed under the skin, even if no bones are broken.

If you have a bruised knuckle, you’ll notice:

• immediate pain on the knuckle and sides of the affected finger
• discoloration
• bleeding
• swelling
• tenderness
• lack of mobility
• popping sounds
• inability to make a fist

In severe cases, you may experience hand numbness and weakness.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis, swelling caused by overuse of the hand’s tendons, is common. You may notice swelling at the knuckles in your thumb, and pain and stiffness when you try to bend them.

Flare-ups of tendonitis symptoms may appear when you engage in repetitive movements of your thumbs, such as when picking up heavy objects or using a cellphone.

Swelling between the thumb and index finger is less common than swelling affecting the joints. However, when swelling does occur, it’s most likely caused by De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.

Other conditions causing swelling in this area include:

• autoimmune disease
• bone cancer
• dactylitis
• gout
• infection
• jammed finger
• pregnancy

It’s possible to treat many causes of a swollen thumb at home with a short recovery time. However, more serious causes may require medical treatment. You should schedule an appointment with a doctor if your swollen thumb:

• lasts more than 3 days or happens more than 3 times every month
• was caused by trauma or serious injury, such as a fracture
• is very painful
• isn’t resolved with home remedies
• was bitten by an animal or there is a wound on your hand that is leaking pus

Additionally, go to the doctor immediately if you are pregnant and your hands or face suddenly becomes swollen. The Healthline FindCare tool can provide options in your area if you don’t already have a doctor.

There are many possible causes of a swollen thumb. Many shouldn’t be concerning, while others are more serious.

How you treat your swollen thumb depends on its cause. When in doubt, schedule an appointment to see a doctor, especially if the swelling is accompanied by pain, redness, and fever.

what are the causes and what to do

The feet account for the bulk of the body. Its correct distribution is achieved by the special structure of the leg. The greatest load falls on the first finger, which favors the emergence of various pathologies. If your big toe hurts, you must first find out what causes these symptoms, and then treat them.

Possible causes of pain

Unpleasant sensations occur in the finger due to the action of external and internal factors. The first ones are:

1. The appearance of a corn, which they try to get rid of on their own by piercing the formation or cutting it off, which in many cases leads to infection inside, leading to various complications. Treatment is carried out after contacting a doctor.
2. Excessive exercise. Pain syndromes in the thumb are observed mainly in dancers and athletes who stand on their toes. This causes strong pressure on the foot, which leads to the occurrence of an inflammatory process and the appearance of discomfort.
3. Ingrown nail. The pain is mostly acute. At the same time, a purulent process sometimes occurs. There is inflammation of the fingertip.
4. Wearing uncomfortable shoes, mostly narrow, with high heels or not fitting the foot.
5. Finger injury. It occurs when bruised or hit. Sometimes accompanied by the formation of hematomas, redness of the soft tissues and aching, stabbing pains.

Diseases with characteristic symptom

Internal factors include various pathologies that lead to such ailments:

1. Valgus deformity of the thumb. It is a growth with a change in shape. Pain syndromes most often appear when wearing narrow shoes and walking in heels.
2. Diabetes mellitus. In this disease, the pain is accompanied by dryness of the skin of the foot.
3. Arthrosis and arthritis. With these pathologies, various joints are affected, due to which the connective tissues thicken, and the mobility of the thumb decreases.
4. Atherosclerosis, endarteritis and other leg pathologies arising from excessive physical exertion and hypothermia.
5. Gout occurs when there is a large amount of lactic acid in the body, causing inflammation in the joints, which become red and hot. The main pain sensations are manifested during sleep. It is characterized by sharp bursting unpleasant sensations, leading to painful movements. After the crystals are washed out after 3-4 days, these symptoms disappear.

Optimal weight distribution in humans is ensured by the transverse and longitudinal vaults. The latter is checked by a footprint on paper, demonstrating the presence of this variety of flat feet. The transverse type occurs in women who wear shoes with heels for a long time.

The pressure from the foot in hallux valgus is transferred to the toes when the heel height is more than 3–5 cm. The most dangerous are open sandals, which contribute to the gradual flattening of the arch. The fingers are deformed, the thumb experiences the greatest load. It is observed to bend and form a protrusion at the joint, which puts pressure on other fingers.

Who to contact and how to treat?

The first specialist visited is a general practitioner. He listens to the patient’s complaints, examines him, sends him for tests, according to the results of which he gives a recommendation to visit a doctor of a narrow specialization who will continue the treatment.

In case of foot deformity, arthrosis or arthritis, it will be an orthopedic surgeon, in case of hormonal failure – an endocrinologist, in case of trauma – a traumatologist or surgeon, in case of gout – a rheumatologist.

First aid

In the event of an injury or bruise, first aid measures are taken to reduce pain and inflammation before contacting a doctor. These include:

• applying ice to the site of injury to form vasospasm, which contributes to a lesser severity of the inflammatory process;
• giving the foot a vertical position to prevent stagnation of venous blood in the damaged area;
• when a wound is formed, the blood is stopped, the wound is washed under a stream of cold water, disinfected, bandaged or glued with an adhesive plaster.

Warming ointments with anti-inflammatory effect are used after 2-3 days.

Therapeutic measures

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs in various forms, physiotherapy, including UHF, exposure to magnets, electrophoresis are used in the treatment.

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Pain can be caused by a dislocated phalanx. The treatment is to pull it out. If immobilization is necessary, orthopedic constructions are used or plaster is applied.

In case of a fracture of the phalanx, the traumatologist, based on the diagnostic results, prescribes either conservative treatment, which involves manually returning the anatomical position of the fragment with subsequent immobilization, or surgical intervention, performed in case of a multi-comminuted fracture, severe bleeding and damage to nerves and blood vessels. During rehabilitation, massage, physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy are performed.

Anti-inflammatory drugs are used to treat gout, which help to stop the symptom of the disease and remove uric acid from the body. Legumes, offal, red meat, strong meat broths and some other foods that are determined by the doctor are excluded from the diet.

People with diabetes follow a strict diet and take special medicines that lower blood glucose levels.

Anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors are prescribed for arthritis and arthrosis.

For hallux valgus, orthopedic devices are used to fix the thumb in the desired position. In the later stages of the disease, surgery is used. Modern surgical methods include the following types of osteotomy:

• according to Scharf, in which the bones are fixed with special screws and the tendons are corrected;
• metatarsal – the operation begins according to the Sade method, through an incision on the first metacarpal bone, at its end, for the correct formation of the arch, the tendon is strengthened;
• according to Austin (chevron) – through a small incision, the heads of the metatarsal bones are fixed with screws and a special wire.

After these operations, the patient will be able to move around in 2-3 days. After 1–1.5 months, the foot is completely restored.

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Methods of pain relief

The main methods of pain relief are medications, which consist in the use of the following drugs:

• ibuprofen, butadione, meloxicam, etc.;
• anesthetic injections into the joint;
• some dietary supplements that prevent its destruction;
• chondroprotectors: Dona, Teraflex, Myotin, etc.

If acute pain occurs, fix the finger.

For flat feet, therapeutic massage and orthopedic shoes are used.

In the presence of acute forms of pathology, massage increases pain syndromes, causing a greater curvature of the finger, so it is not prescribed.

Folk remedies are used in the early stages:

• applying a cabbage leaf to an injured joint with fixation;
• compress of chopped onion in gauze to the site of pain localization for 1 hour;
• taking a bath at a temperature of about +36 . .. +38 ° C with the addition of one of the essential oils.

They are used in combination with the main treatment.

Preventive measures

The basic rules to avoid sudden pain are as follows:

1. Try to avoid injury.
2. It is wise to combine physical exertion with periods of rest.
3. Practice good personal hygiene.
4. Do not wear shoes with a narrow toe or high heels, choose comfortable ones.
5. Take care when pedicure.

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Timely measures prevent the development of various pathologies, discomfort is the basis for starting prevention.

Numbness of toes, causes. What do we have to do?

This is a rather alarming signal, despite the seeming harmlessness of sensations. The patient should not postpone a visit to the doctor if his toes repeatedly go numb without visible prerequisites (tight shoes, uncomfortable body position). The cause of this condition is often serious pathology. When treated early, treatment is most effective and requires minimal costs.

Numb toes: cause

• Nerve conduction disorders, blood supply.
• Degenerative changes in the musculoskeletal system.
• Tumors compressing nerve plexuses, spinal cord.
• Inflammatory diseases of the joints (accompanied by swelling and pain in them).
• Alcohol dependence (leads to chronic edema).
• Pathological processes in the lower extremities.
• Deficiency of minerals and vitamins (eg B12 and calcium).
• Long-term smoking (impairs blood supply).

What a person feels

Numbness (paresthesia) is experienced subjectively. For example, as one of the manifestations listed below, any combination of them or a complete complex.

• Loss of sensation.
• Burning.
• Inability to move fingers, bend them.
• Prickling with thousands of “needles”.
• Goosebumps.
• Itching.
• Discomfort.

Whatever the feeling, if a person has numbness of the toes, treatment should be preceded by an adequate examination, which will help to identify the prerequisites for the disease.

Numbness of the big toe

Dislocation of numbness is usually informative. The situation when the big toe goes numb, and the rest feel normal, may indicate diabetes. In this case, numbness occurs alternately on different limbs.

Other possible options are venous insufficiency, thrombophlebitis, gouty arthritis (accompanied by redness of the phalanges and pain in the joints).

Fingers on the left foot go numb

When the fingers on the left foot go numb, pathologies of the spine are likely to develop. Similar conclusions are drawn by right-sided paresthesia – discomfort will be observed on the side where the pathological restructuring occurs. It can give osteochondrosis, intervertebral hernia, disc protrusion.

Numb toes: treatment

After the diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes an individually designed correction scheme.