No, it’s not a “green thumb,” and no, it’s not something every mom will get, but “mommy thumb” is still incredibly common. And can be incredibly painful.
Defined as an overuse of the tendons that extend the thumb, and characterized by pain on the thumb side of the wrist aggravated by movement, “mommy thumb” is a condition known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis.
De Quervain’s is caused by either awkward positions of the wrist and thumb, such as holding a baby bottle and lifting an infant car seat, or repetitive use of the thumb, such as texting and typing on the computer.
“This condition has been around for a long time,” said Marie Fightmaster, senior certified hand therapist with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, “but a lot more people seem to be getting it lately because everyone is texting and on their phones.”
Although texting and typing can contribute to De Quervain’s, they’re not usually the only cause.
Even though anyone can have De Quervain’s, a significant number of patients Fightmaster sees are new moms. That’s because new moms are constantly lifting babies and performing a motion over and over again that they wouldn’t normally do.
Women in their third trimester of pregnancy also are prone to “mommy thumb” because of the swelling along the tendons.
How to treat it
If resting your thumb, avoiding overuse, icing and taking anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen or Aleve to treat the symptoms of “mommy thumb” don’t work, it’s time to call your primary care physician. He or she can refer you to a hand surgeon or hand therapist who can help.
If the condition developed recently, a hand therapist or surgeon can splint your wrist to force the thumb and tendons to rest to prevent overuse. Patients also have the option to receive a cortisone shot to the inflamed area to decrease inflammation and pain.
The third option, of course, is surgery, which releases the tendon from where it’s irritated.
Typically, most people will try the splint first and then, if it hasn’t gotten better after six weeks, will opt for surgery.
Hand therapists also have other treatment options at their disposal if a patient wants to avoid surgery, such as massage therapy and localized pain medication treatments.
