Mummy’s thumb

Do you have to be a mum to have mummy’s thumb? no, but it’s an affectionate name for a painful, annoying condition. Have I had it? yes, when I was nursing my firstborn in the early weeks to months after they were born. This is the phase when you’re up all hours of the night trying hard to breastfeed well, despite being exhausted and you end up holding Bub in an awkward position just so they can latch on well. So I know exactly how uncomfortable it can be. But anyone can be affected.

Mummy’s thumb, or De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is inflammation of the tendons and or surrounding synovial sheath that cross over the wrist and thumb. These two tendons (extensor pollicus brevis (EPB) and abductor pollius longus (APL) ) are surrounded by a synovial shealth that acts as a lubricant for the tendons to glide across the wrist when you use your thumb. When the sheath and or tendon gets irritated due to overuse sometimes there is enough thickening that it restricts this movement and pain occurs usually over the junction of the wrist and thumb.

The most commonly irritating positions

Signs and symptoms include:

• tenderness on palpation of the thumb/wrist junction

• pain during the night and especially on waking which can radiate up the forearm

• reduced strength of the wrist and thumb

• reduced wrist and thumb range

• sometimes swelling at the wrist

Timeframes for recovery as usual depend on many factors including how long you have been suffering from symptoms, what the tissue durability is like, your occupation, impediments to healing such as smoking or metabolic disease, your ability to rest your hand from irritating factors, and the therapy you seek out

The good news is the vast majority of these conditions will subside given the right treatment approach, which from a physiotherapy point of view includes: splinting, cryotherapy, taping, ultrasound, shoulder girdle and forearm strengthening, education and in ongoing cases a cortisone injection can be beneficial.

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Sam and Andy