Thumb Pain
This morning I saw a new client who had been diagnosed with mild trigger thumb and was experiencing significant pain at work while typing and doing computer work.
She had previously received a steroid injection for the same issue in September of last year which helped to manage the discomfort, but she was still in pain after a long day of work.
After the steroids had completely worn off in just four months, she came to me via a referral searching for a more lasting solution.
After taking her through an examination, we found that her flexor pollicis brevis and extensor carpi ulnaris were hypertonic while her flexor pollicis longus and pronator teres were inhibited. All of these came back to local nocioception in the anterior compartment of the forearm.
After correcting these dysfunctions, all that remained was diffuse tenderness over the mass of the supinator.
Why?
This client had in fact undergone cervical surgery for stenosis seven years ago.
While one might assume that this tenderness was simply a fall out result of the ongoing thumb issue, testing showed that this in fact came back to a golgi tendon dysfunction at the level of C6/C7 and nocioception in the scar on her anterior neck.
The real test took place today at work as she was off to a ten hour work day immediately after our appointment.
Just received an email from her that her hand feels better than it has in years.
Remember to always test rather than simply assume.
You never know where the body will lead you.
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