Do you know one in every four women and at least one in twelve men will suffer from the pain and loss of function caused by carpometacarpal joint osteoarthritis during their lifetimes (Cyr)? It is a condition that affects the joint at the base of the thumb. Trapeziometacarpal (TMC) osteoarthritis, also known as osteoarthritis at the base of the thumb or as rhizarthrosis, is a reparative joint disease affecting the first carpometacarpal joint (CMC). There are distinct types of arthritis, but the one which most affects the thumb is osteoarthritis. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage inside your joints starts to break down and causes changes in the bone that begin slowly and worsen over time (Yale Medicine).
Symptoms
- Pain
- Swelling, stiffness, and decreased strength when gripping or holding objects with the affected hand.
Diagnosis and Treatment
With the help of radiographs, physicians can determine joint laxity at an early stage and complete loss of joint space at a later stage. They may suggest conservative treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) as it may turn out to be effective. Physicians may refer NSAIDs at an early stage in the treatment after thoroughly assessing each patient’s pattern of symptoms, but not for a longer period. The patient tries to adjust activities according to their pain as the priority becomes to reduce it. The patient may use a splint to restrict wrist and thumb movements for six weeks, as it has shown improvement in the initial stages of the treatment. Hand therapy is also popular, where the patient is educated on muscle strengthening and pinch-grab activities without any pain or stress. Massage and heat may also offer temporary relief. When conservative treatment of thumb basal joint arthritis fails, there are surgical options. If the joint is painful, deformed, or weak that restricts hand functioning, the physicians may suggest surgery. However, before the surgery, some factors are considered, such as the patient’s age, disease stage, activity level, and occupation. The need for surgery depends on the radiographs that define early-stage arthritis and later-stage arthritis (Swigart, 2008).
Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program
Nowadays, Advanced Joint Pain Relief program is becoming more popular among patients, as it gives them an alternative option to surgery. For example, an advanced joint relief therapy, Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), has shown promising results in the treatment of osteoarthritis. We at Vitality Integrative Wellness in Temecula have been serving patients for years now. Our Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program (PRP) is nonoperative and does not utilize any form of anti-inflammatories or narcotics, rather an approach using various therapies to encourage your body to heal itself. In the process, our health professional draws the blood, and with the help of centrifugate, separates the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood. We use ultrasound imaging to guide the injections, and then the doctor directly injects into injured or diseased body tissue. Clinical trials have shown that PRP injections have decreased pain and improved functions in mild to moderate Trapeziometacarpal (TMC) patients (Loibl, Lang, Dendl et. AL. (2016). PRP injections may appear safe for reducing pain and improving function.
You may consult our doctors and learn more about the Advanced Joint Pain Relief Program by booking an appointment at (951) 386-3399.
Disclaimer: The results may vary from patient to patient.
Source: https://myorthoct.com/news-a-events/get-moving-blog/1766-osteoarthritis-oa
Source: https://www.yalemedicine.org/conditions/osteoarthritis
Source: https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12178-008-9022-7.pdf
Source: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2016/9262909/
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3702767/