3-Point Products' Healthcare Blog

Selecting Splints or Exercises for Thumb Arthritis

While it really does depend on which thumb joints are affected and what the severity of the arthritis is, in general these are things you should be looking for in a splint and in exercises for thumb arthritis:

          Splints:

Look for a splint that supports or immobilizes the joint(s) that hurt.

• A hand based splint that concentrates support at the base of your thumb is best when you have pain at the CMC joint.
• If the pain is mostly at the middle or MCP joint, look for a splint that holds or supports at that joint as well as at the CMC joint. 
• If the pain is at the end joint, a “ring” style splint that supports this joint or helps hold it straight may be all that you need.

Does your thumb hurt only when you are active or does it also hurt at rest?

• If your thumb hurts only during activities, a soft or flexible support may be all you need to support the joints while allowing you to function.
• If your thumb hurts even when you are not using it, a splint that immobilizes the thumb to allow it to fully rest may be what you need.

Will you be using the splint during the day for activities?

• If you will be wearing the splint during activity, look for light weight splints that are designed to support while still allowing some motion.
• Look for non-bulky materials that let you hold things in your hand so you are not tempted to take it off when you have to do something that requires dexterity.       
• Look for splints that are adjustable and let you control how much compression and support they provide.

Exercise        

1. If you are in acute pain, rest is the best thing you can do. You do not want to exercise if your arthritis is actively flaring up.
2. If your thumb is relatively pain free, light resistive exercises with a light to medium resistance exercise putty is recommended. Putty allows you to perform a variety of exercises designed to maintain or improve strength in the thumb muscles as well as the whole hand.
3. Avoid heavy exercisers with rubber bands or springs. Though you may be able to change the rubber bands or springs, it is still hard to control how much resistance these exercisers provide and they are not designed to target the thumb muscles.

As with any splint or exercise, you are best to consult your physician or therapist for direction on what will work best for you. The second best advice I can provide is, err on the side of lighter exercises and less resistive splints to start. Often all you need is a light support that provides compression around the aching joint(s) to reduce pain and allow you to function.  

Use the web to comparison shop and find the splints that target your problem and that are most likely to help and least likely to make the problem worse.  
You can find related information here: 

• Explanation of thumb arthritis as a condition
• Blog: My Thumb Hurts: Do I Have Thumb Arthritis?

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Author: Julie Belkin