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Saga Magazine
A hand wearing a thumb splint doing a thumbs up | Getty/Gonzalo Calle Asprilla
Image credit: Getty/Gonzalo Calle Asprilla

Can thumb splints help arthritis? Dr Mark Porter has the answer

A Saga Magazine reader asks Dr Mark the best way to deal with thumb arthritis

By Dr Mark Porter | Published - 16 Jul 2024
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 Q. I have arthritis in both my thumbs which makes gripping things and opening jars painful. Anti-inflammatories and painkillers don’t really help.

I have come across thumb splints online. Are they worth trying?

Dr Mark's reply

Osteoarthritis of the joint at the base of the thumb is very common, affecting at least one in four people over 45 to some degree, mostly women.

Splints can provide some relief but need to be rigid to work well and that will hinder use of your hands. Flexible neoprene ones are easier to wear but not that helpful in my experience.

If splints don’t work, a steroid injection is the next step, but this is best done by a hand surgeon, so you will need a referral from your GP.

Surgery on the joint or replacement is another option, but reserved for the most severe cases.

The British Society for Surgery of the Hand has more information about Basal thumb arthritis.

Charity Versus Arthritis explains that there are two types of thumb splints.

  • Resting splints - best used if you have pain overnight which disturbs your sleep or if you have daytime flare ups.
  • Working splints - these give you a little more movement and are best used if your thumb is swollen or if you are having more discomfort than usual.

The charity advises not to wear a splint all the time as the joints may become stiff.

This article appeared in the July 2024 edition of Saga Magazine. 

Subscribe today for just £34.95

Dr Mark Porter

Written by: Dr Mark Porter

With 26 years experience in practice and a partner in a busy South Gloucestershire surgery, Mark is also resident doctor on BBC One The One Show, presents Radio 4’s Inside Health, writes for The Times, and has even popped up on celebrity versions of The Weakest Link and Mastermind. Saga Magazine readers can ask for his expert opinion on any health issue, from a sprained wrist to high cholesterol or chronic disease. Mark was awarded an MBE in 2005 for services to medicine.

View author page
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