any ideas? thumb dilemma

[Pompal 09.]

last night my thumb started swelling and hurting. Full of fluid it feels like. I didnt remember exactly doing anything and thinking that it hurt..except for awhile my thumb joint has been sore to the touch (closest to the nail so it's the distal joint) the big fat part...well, i lifted weights last night and then it began to swell so something must have been going on in there (like i stated earlier, i have had pain in that area for a long while i just ignored it..)my massage schedule is BOOKED like never before, I have been giving a lot more massages lately too, and now I don't want to call and cancel all of these people!!! One lady I have cancelled on two times already once when i sprained my ankle, once my dad passed away and now this!!! she gets mad.
And...if i went to the doctor could they actually do anything??? ( i have no insurance) can't affore xrays etc.. and has anyone had anything like this happen to them before????? any info or advice would be helpful.
thanks

 

[thorn105]

I'm sorry you are having thumb troubles! To start with, ice it. That should reduce both the pain and swelling. You also need to rest it, but you can do massage, just don't do thumb pressure. I know it is awkward, when that is what you are used to, but it is very, very doable. Both my thumbs have birth defects - worse on my dominant hand - so I never use major thumb pressure. My clients have never noticed. I was probably 8 months into school before any of my classmates noticed, and they noticed when I was writing something on break, not while I was massaging. You can work, just don't reinjure.

If you do think it is possibly broken, you need a doctor. You may benefit from some sort of brace, but a brace would probably make massage impossible. You could maybe wear the brace except while working, and then just leave your thumb out of it to work.

Good luck!

 

[Bri]

It might be a slight strain or tendonitis, if that's the case then ice will really help.

I cut my thumb pretty bad in school (I'll spare you the details!) so I had to come up with some other ideas too. You could use thumb pressure with your other hand, and reinforce the good thumb with two fingers. Or you could use your elbows or ulnar border, or go gentle with your knuckles if you're working on a trigger point or stripping a muscle, there's lots of things you can do. Hope your thumb gets better soon!

 

[alby]

thanks you guys..i am planning on working and trying to leave my thumb out...petrissage will be awkward..just trying to remember to keep my thumb out...man this hurts..its so nice to have you all encourage me, it helps so much..
jackie

 

[mlinda]

I've done adaptive petrissage, scooping the tissue with ulnar border of hand into the kneading hand.

 

[bookseller]

jdcan, i will try that, thank you.

 

[one x sweet]

I was thinking the same thing, jdcan, or even scooping into a working, rolling fist.

And maybe instead of sustained thumb pressure (you're sure to strain the other if you only work with that one -Murphy's Law!), when you find an adhesion, etc, try going in with the tips of index fingers or even index and middle finger, 'sawing' back & forth & changing directions by walking your body into a new angle.

Good luck; let those creative thoughts lead you to some new techniques!

Jill/sagetherapist

 

[sweethoney785]

DAMAGE THUMB OR FINGERS

Usually I resort to a different technique like lomi-lomi. It saves my thumbs and fingers. But the best thing that I've found especially for working on athletes and muscular clients is Acuforce 2.5 or 7.0. It's truly a thumb, finger saver.

T-bone

 

[Ywuhapive]

accuforce

the acuforce...is it easy to use? Does it feel like an elbow?

 

[Ves]

After ice, I would suggest massaging and stretching your fingers and hands. I massage my digits (I like that word) both lengthwise and vertically. Nice little tugs on the digits at each of the joints also feels great.
I also highly recommend having a chiro adjust your hands, wrists and elbows regularly. If there isn't one available where you work and you can't afford one, maybe you could set up a trade with one. Between the chiro I work with and my self-massage, my hands have been relieved of some jams and discomfort.

Feel Better!!