Postpartum thumb joint pain: causes and treatment

Pain in the thumb joint after childbirth is a disease that many women suffer from. The disease appears after pregnancy, which is a sensitive period and easily causes the patient to have negative thoughts.

Although osteoarthritis is not life-threatening, the long-lasting pain and discomfort will greatly affect the patient's life and activities. Postpartum women have a sensitive mood and physical condition, the pain of the thumb joint after giving birth will make them feel more serious. This article will help you understand more about the causes, symptoms, and safe and effective treatment of thumb joint pain.

Is pain in the thumb joint after birth dangerous?

People with postpartum finger joint pain are when they feel pain in their limbs, accompanied by swelling and local heat. This pain can be caused by trauma or it can be caused by many other medical reasons.

We all know, women after pregnancy often have a reduced resistance due to a lot of blood loss during childbirth (including caesarean section). A weak body is an opportunity for diseases in the body to develop, making a significant impact on life. Besides, the erratic mode of living and rest after giving birth because of being busy with young children also makes the joints of the hands more vulnerable.

Osteoarthritis causes long-lasting pain and discomfort.

According to experienced doctors, postpartum thumb joint pain has a high level of danger, especially when the patient has a late treatment. Some complications can occur when women do not initiate early treatment:

• Numbness in the hands and shoulders: This is the most common complication for patients with joint pain because when the joint hurts, it will lead to local inflammation and swelling, pinched blood vessels, poor blood circulation. If the inflammation is not reduced, the soft tissue tissue here is at risk of necrosis.
• Joints become one: When the joint is in pain, it will be conscious of "lazy" to move the patient's hand, over time the joint will become one, that is, it will not be able to bend or stretch like a normal person. Patients should be careful to avoid this complication.
• Hand muscle atrophy: When the hand is not moving, along with the joints, the muscle organization also gradually atrophies.
• Ligament rupture: Where the cause of postpartum finger joint pain is due to inflammation in the ligament organization, it will easily lead to rupture when moving. Timely examination and treatment will help prevent unfortunate consequences.
• Seasonal pain: This complication patients will experience throughout the following period. Typically, when the weather changes or it turns cold, the joints will be painful, causing discomfort for the patient.

Thus, postpartum thumb joint pain is a dangerous disease. Depending on the group of causes and the patient's ability to handle, the severity of the disease will vary from person to person.

Common causes and symptoms 

When postpartum women have problems with finger joint pain, especially thumb joint pain, it is a warning sign to the patient that the bone and joint system is having health problems.

Postpartum thumb joint pain has a high level of danger, especially when the patient has a late treatment.

Causes of thumb joint pain after birth

• Osteoarthritis of the fingers: The majority of women post-partum finger joint pain can be caused by degenerative causes before and during childbirth. Patients who have had degenerative diseases before pregnancy and childbirth, when the immune system is weakened, plus changes in blood flow will make the disease more severe. Therefore, if the patient has a history of degeneration, it is necessary to take proper preventive measures after birth.
• Postpartum osteoporosis : After giving birth, a woman's bone and joint structure has many changes, weakening as well as being susceptible to related diseases, including postpartum finger joint pain.
• Infectious arthritis: This is also one of the causes of postpartum finger joint pain due to a weakened immune system and easy opportunistic bacteria to invade and grow.
• Ligament Rupture: A tendon rupture due to movement or history has also been identified as one of the causes.
• Injuries caused by daily activities: After giving birth, women have an unusual or unusual birth regime, many people do not get rest but have to work a lot, leading to inflammation or pain. In this case, if you get proper rest, you will recover very quickly.
• Deficiency diet: A diet lacking in nutrients leaves the body with no materials to build bone and joint organization. This affects the structure and causes frequent pain.
• Performing movements that block blood to the joints of the hands: Patients with a lying position or having to hold children often will easily restrict blood flow to the extremities. It is also a common cause of finger joint pain.

Symptoms of postpartum thumb joint pain

Postpartum thumb joint pain has many symptoms, divided into different stages of severity:

• Mild stage: The patient has mild pain, has not affected much movement in the extremities.
• Moderate stage: The patient's symptoms begin to get stronger, the pain level gradually increases, accompanied by swelling and heat in the joints. The patient also begins to have limited range of motion and numbness in the hands.
• Severe stage: Severe pain, accompanied by fever or complete loss of movement. Besides, there can also appear more dangerous complications mentioned above if not treated early.

Patients need to have an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the disease.

Diagnosis and treatment of pain in the joints of the fingers after birth

Patients need to be accurately diagnosed the cause of the disease and take treatment steps according to the protocol of the hospital and the Ministry of Health. It is necessary to clearly identify, in order to avoid increasing the risk of complications, the patient must follow the doctor's instructions and report any unusual manifestations when encountered.

Diagnosis of thumb pain

Thumb pain can be diagnosed using a variety of methods, depending on the patient's symptoms. Common methods of diagnosing thumb pain include:

• X-ray;
• Check for carpal tunnel syndrome, including Tinel's sign (nerve test) and electronic nerve activity test;
• Ultrasound to see inflamed or enlarged nerves;
• An MRI scan to see wrist and joint anatomy.

Thumb joint pain treatment

Home Remedies

If you're experiencing pain from a soft tissue injury, activity, or overextending your thumb every day, consider giving your thumb a rest. You can apply ice to the painful area if there is swelling.

If you are being treated for carpal tunnel syndrome or have a loss of grip, you may be advised to wear a splint at night to stabilize the compressed nerves in your wrist.

Over-the-counter oral medications for joint pain including NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin); naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophine (Tylenol).

Medical treatment

If home remedies for your thumb pain don't work, medical attention is required. Treatments for thumb joint pain include:

• Physical therapy;
• Joint steroid injections;
• Topical analgesics;
• Prescription pain relievers;
• Surgery to repair a damaged tendon or joint.

The patient must follow the doctor's instructions.

In summary, pain in the thumb can have many different causes. Some causes can be treated at home, rest, and take over-the-counter pain relievers while the wound heals. Other causes, such as arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome, may require medical treatment. Talk to your doctor if you have recurrent pain in any part of your thumb.

Preventing finger joint pain after giving birth

To prevent joint pain after giving birth, women should note:

• Health check before - during - after pregnancy to determine the risk of disease. In those with a history of osteoarthritis, special care should be taken after pregnancy to avoid unusual complications.
• Paying attention to nutrition for postpartum women, aiming to increase resistance and provide more materials to regenerate the bone and joint system. This is an important factor to help prevent the risk of disease.
• Family members should share the work with sisters to reduce pressure as well as this object to rest more. This will ensure bone health and reduce physical damage.
• People at risk of the disease spend time doing sports exercises, at a gentle level so that their joints and muscles get used to the level of daily movement. Besides, it also controls body weight and reduces the pressure that the skeletal system has to bear.
• Always maintain positive thoughts, avoid negative emotions and actions that affect the psyche.
• Sex with appropriate intensity after giving birth is also a factor that helps regulate hormones, thereby reducing the risk of disease.