Anyone?
Yes, and I also treat people who have it
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Going to see my primary next week, any thoughts? In 2019 I had a case of “gamekeepers thumb” after going down and hooking my (left) thumb on the handlebars. Not recommended. Yanked my thumb backwards and it hasn’t been the same since. But no real problems until recently. That thumb has seen heavy keyboard action since 1986, setting myself up for a repetitive stress injury / carpal tunnel shit show. Saw a really good ortho back in 2019, X-Ray, MRI, yada yada. He told me to HTFU and nothing to do unless it got worse.
Easy answer.
Assuming you have the correct diagnosis.
Steroid injection. For THIS particular problem it can be magical and frequently cures the patients
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yeah, I figured you were going to say that. The tendon jumping over a bone or something started about 6 weeks ago, and got better but still not right. Early sixties so its not like I heal fast…
Initial diagnosis next week. My GP is a half/full marathon spouse of a wife that loves to run. He bikes too. I’m sure he’ll give me a referral if I want a more permanent solution to this f***d up thumb. Any thoughts on surgical options @Jkauffman? This freaking thumb is clicking (tendon over bone?) after every ride, even after changing how I type for 4 weeks. I’m pretty active and even lifting dumbbells/kettlebells/bars is making me wince the next day.
p.s. I mean questions to ask my doctor(s)
If the tendon is unstable then it’s not Dequairvains.
So first you need a diagnosis .
Dequairvains is the tendon getting compressed or trapped in its sheath it causes pain with thumb flexion/extension, and responds to injections at least 50% of time, and can be permanent fix . If it comes back, surgery takes 20 min, few weeks for full recovery.
If you have tendon instability, go see a good hand surgeon for surgery.
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Thank you!!!
Totally unrelated to cycling but I have an employee who is being treated for this condition and has shown no improvement in the 8 months they have been receiving treatment.
Looks like there are some questions that need to be asked of her medical team by my insurer.
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Yes, both wrists/thumbs a few years ago. Thought it was because I was spending so much time on the bike. Doctor answered with “how old is your baby?” (Four months old). Cortisol shots were so effective it was basically cured. Little more than occasional ice after that.
Clicking over bone doesn’t sound like same thing though.
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My babies are in their mid twenties lol
Tendon injuries (if it is Dequervains) in the wrist/elbow are some of my least favorite injuries to treat - because 50% of the time people don’t respond to conservative care.
The test to see if it is Dequervains is to hold your thumb with the rest of your fingers and then bend your wrist away from your hand (so keep your thumb inside the grip of the other four fingers and move your hand toward your pinky side of your forearm - as if you were mimicking chopping). If that hurts - it is likely Deq.
Good luck - and take @Jkauffman s advice
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Finkelstein test!
Ha! Yes. I’m not a certified hand therapist so i don’t do it so often
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GP did Finklestein test and a few other manipulations. Nothing. Before leaving got hand x-rays. Thursday a visit to physical therapy and X-rays will be back too. I’m on a PPO and can go anywhere, but figured I’d start with this as I needed this visit as a chance to review maintenance stuff (ordered blood work/baselining for cholesterol and PSA). One step at a time while I continue to do the obvious stuff (no thumb scrolling on phone, no overuse of this thumb on keyboard, wear spica splint, etc).
A good orthopedic surgeon or even better, a hand surgeon will make a definitive diagnosis. I personally would want that.
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That’s next, after the x-rays come back.
Anything else then steroid injections to treat it conservatively, I’d rather not? And any idea if and how the problem is cycling related? I woke up with this pain 2 weeks ago and when on the bike I feel no pain
I tried all sorts of rehab recommendations – none worked. I finally solved it after concluding that the hours of overhand grip while riding was the problem and I then started doing chin-ups (underhand bar grip) instead of pull-ups for my gym work. Marked improvement after 2 weeks but almost 6 months for full resolution but I had been struggling with DQT for 7+ years.
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I might give it a try. I usually do my pull ups with false grip in the hope of ever progressing to bar muscle ups