I went to a hand surgeon and he fixed my thumb in a procedure that took maybe ten minutes! It was really bad. I had tried physical therapy and injections of cortisone - everything I could think of and he could think of. I was amazed at how quickly it healed. I urge you to see a hand surgeon. The other reason my thumbs were killing me was because of arthritis. I discovered that taking 3 mg of boron, three or four times a day, completely got rid of this pain. For 15 years my hands were almost useless to me because of arthritis. I started taking boron for osteoporosis and lo and behold! My arthritis is GONE. But if I miss even one dose, it comes back. The upper limit for boron is 20 mg a day. I take 3 mg capsules at breakfast, lunch and dinner and before bed. I'm like a new woman! I can even play piano and crochet again. I have been to countless doctors and not one of them has said a word about boron. There is no money to be made for a doctor by telling us to take boron, stop eating sugar, etc. But if you look hard, you will find information about boron on You Tube or in natural remedy groups. Some people mix one-eighth of a tsp. of Borax (20 Mule Team!) in 1 liter of water. I would rather just take a capsule and not taste it. I am only taking 12 mg of boron a day - so I am well below the upper limit. The reason I stopped getting the shots of cortisone from the rheumatologist is that steroids eat up the bone. You are only supposed to get a maximum of two shots of steroids into any joint in your lifetime. My rheumatologist had me coming in every ten weeks. Also, little known fact: Those shots of steroids can. backfire and cause more pain - through the roof type pain (I was growling!!! It lasted for a week!). My pain was so bad, my parrots slept on the pillow beside me for a few days. I will never get another shot of cortisone after that one backfired on me. Also, steroids can wreak havoc on your gut. They wipe out all the good flora in your gut - which can lead to candida overgrowth (which I got). I have had to be on a no-sugar diet for over the past five years due to candida overgrowth. (Antibiotics and steroids are the main drugs that cause candida overgrowth, but hormones and stress can also cause it.). Every drug has a side effect. Boron is a naturally-occurring element that is found in California and Turkey, perhaps somewhere else I do not know about. It does not build up in the body - which is something someone who doesn't know the facts might tell you. But like I said, the upper limit is 20 mg per day. (There are people who claim it will cure osteoporosis and they are taking massive doses of 150 mg per day, but I am not willing to do that.). I hope this will help somebody. Every body is different - so listen to your body. I wish you all good luck.

@susan30

It is is usually cortisone injections. You need an orthopedist/surgeon that specializes in hands. Make sure you ask around about how good they are... reviews are nice, but asking people you know is better.

Thumb problems are usually either bone on bone arthritis or trigger thumb. I had both. With trigger thumb you will have a clicking or catching when you use your thumb. With bone on bone if you press on the joint at the base of the thumb.. near the wrist it will be very tender, maybe swollen. I had pain when I pinched my finger together or tried to hold a pen. Not sure which one caused that.

Trigger thumb is a tendon problem. The fix for it is a surgery that last total of about 20 minutes from time they take you back to OR for prep and closure of cut. The surgery is basically a tendon release.

The surgery for the arthritis varies as to which procedure they use. The bone is removed and an implant placed, another they use a tendon to fill space, and the tightrope.. which I had. With the tightrope they place a string.. much like fishing line.. between thumb and index finger. The space where the bone is filled in with debris, blood and eventually scar tissue.

ZeeGee