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As we all know, our hands are used constantly all day long for almost everything that we do. If we injure our fingers or hands, this could impact how we perform our daily tasks at work, home and play.

Health injuries such as thumb tendonitis and De Quervain's tendonitis can impact how we do these things also. These can occur by a number of factors.

Do I have Tendonitis of the thumb? What is it?

Let's talk a minute about tendonitis in the thumb. Sometimes this can happen when you have an irritation or swelling of the hand tendons. Usually this will happen on the thumb side of the wrist.

What happens is the irritation that you have causes the compartment that the tendon runs in to swell. The shape of the compartment changes. The tendon can't move as it should in this compartment. Pain and tenderness occurs along the thumb side of the wrist. This pain can be felt if you go to grasp something, make a fist or by turning the wrist.

Thumb tendonitis and a repetitive motion injury

If you have a job or some task that you have to use a repetitive motion, can cause this problem. This repeated movement over the years will or can cause pain in the hand, possibly injured nerves (carpal tunnel syndrome), you can have locking fingers (trigger finger) and loss of movement or pain that effects the thumb.

How do you know you have thumb tendonitis? Some signs and symptoms.

Pain on the thumb side of the wrist is the main symptom. This pain may appear gradually or even suddenly. This may even seem like an arthritic pain. The pain is felt in the wrist, but can travel up the forearm.

You can feel a severe pain when you go and grab something or when you are twisting your wrist. Swelling will probably be obvious in the thumb area. A catching or locking of the fingers including the thumb may start to happen. You may start to feel a numbness on the index finger and the back of the thumb.

How can I treat this?

One of the initial treatments is a thumb splint or brace to help support the thumb. Resting and some type of anti-inflammatory medication can be helpful. Icing the effective area can decrease the inflammation.

When suffering from thumb tendonitis or De Quervain's tendonitis, you doctor may have you get a cortisone injection. This is going to help with the swelling and the pain. I have had them and they do work quite well. Be careful taking multiple injections in that this can weaken the tendon and cause more damage.

Sometimes surgery can become necessary. This would happen if the pain remains constant or if it continues to come back. Surgery sometimes is a good options and can cure the problem. It is just a small incision and is day surgery, you are in and out. You just wear a splint until the stitches are removed.

How to tell if you have Thumb Tendonitis For Sure

A simple 3 step test to tell if you are suffering from thumb tendonitis or even Dequervain's tendonitis. The following is the way to tell.

* What you need to do first is to make a fist by having the fingers over the thumb.

* What you want to do next is bend the wrist in the direction of the little finger.

* If you are suffering from thumb tendinitis, the person is going to find this very painful. You are also going to find tenderness to the touch directly over the thumb side of the wrist.

Now you know how to see if you are really suffering from thumb tendonitis. Two steps and you know for sure.

This is a quick way of finding out if you are suffering from Thumb Tendonitis but you require more info on this and DeQuervain's Tendonitis and our site will provide this.

Author: Steve A Madigan

"As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people complain about more often than almost any other, is their feet." So says Dr. Nathan Wei, Clinical Director of The Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center of Maryland. "This is too bad because there are many treatments that can be helpful," Dr. Wei adds.
The foot is made up of 26 bones and 39 muscles...
The foot and ankle are designed to bear weight. The multiple joints in the feet are capable of adjusting to almost any terrain and the padding in the feet are designed to absorb shock.. The ankle joint allows the foot to move up and down, side to side, and inward and outward (inversion and eversion).
Not All Foot Pain Comes From The Foot!
Careful examination of the low back, hip, and knee should be performed because pain from these areas may affect the foot and ankle. In particular, pinched nerves in the low back can cause foot pain and weakness.
Ankle sprains are common- 25,000 people sprain an ankle every day!
The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and prevent instability.
Treatment of an acute sprain consists of rest, ice compression and elevation ("RICE"). Exercises to help stabilize and strengthen the ankle should be started.
Arthritis of the ankle may cause recurrent pain and swelling.
Pain from arthritis typically is made worse by weight-bearing particularly on uneven ground. What this means is you should try to avoid excessive walking or running on uneven ground. Anti-inflammatory medication and proper foot support can do wonders.
Pain in the ball of the foot has many causes...

• Foot strain occurs when a person "overdoes it." And the treatment is pretty straightforward. Rest.
• Morton's neuroma (a benign nerve tumor usually located between the 3rd and 4th toes)
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome (pinched nerve in the ankle)
• Arthritis.

Other common causes of foot pain include:

• Stress fractures may occur after excessive walking.
• Achilles tendonitis causes pain in the back of the heel. Treatment consists of anti-inflammatory medicines, rest, a heel lift, and gentle stretching.
• Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the bottom of the heel. Treatment includes rest, anti-inflammatory medication, heel cup, orthotics, stretching, and local steroid injection.
• Flat foot.

Muscle strengthening exercises and orthotics are helpful.
Two other common problems are:

• Osteoarthritis, particularly common in the big toe. The big toe will point out to the side. When bursitis alongside the great toe joint develops, this condition is referred to as a bunion. Treatment involves proper padding and footwear. In extreme cases, surgery is required.
• Neuropathy. This painful condition is particularly common in diabetics. This occurs when the small nerves in the feet are damaged. Symptoms include burning, tingling, and pain in the feet - worse at night.

Well fitted orthotics (arch supports) can alleviate not only foot and ankle pain but pain in the knees, hips, low back, and neck!!
We often take the ability to walk for granted. This ability involves the use of two engineering marvels- our feet and ankles. Because of the tremendous amount of force transmitted to the feet with walking, unique problems may develop. Attention to proper preventative care, i.e., comfortable shoes, sox, hygiene, support, along with proper prompt medical care can really put the brakes on foot pain.