De Quervain's tendinitis is a common cause of thumb pain. This condition is characterized by inflammation of the tendons in your wrist that attach to your thumb. When this occurs the tendons have difficulty sliding through the wrist, resulting in pain, numbness and difficulty moving the thumb. Exercises designed to strengthen and stretch the wrist are often prescribed for relieving these symptoms and may be initiated after acute pain and swelling have disappeared.
Wrist Flexion and Extension Stretch
This stretch is useful for alleviating pain and tightness of the wrist. To do these stretches, extend your arm out in front of your body and straighten your elbow. Position your palm so that it is facing the ground. Pull your affected hand down towards the ground so that your palm faces your body. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat three times. Next, pull your hand up so that your palm faces away from your body. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and repeat three times.
Thumb Adduction Stretch
Thumb adduction stretches will stretch the thumb and ameliorate stiffness. To perform this exercise, position your affected hand so that your palm is facing up. Slowly bring your thumb all the way across your palm as far as possible. Try to touch the edge of your hand proximal to the little finger if possible. Hold for six seconds and do 10 repetitions.
Radial Deviation
Radial deviation exercises are designed to strengthen the wrist, which will alleviate pressure on the tendons and reduce symptoms. To perform this exercise, make a fist with your affected hand and point your thumb up. Slowly raise your entire hand up while bending the wrist. This motion is supposed to be small. Hold the up position for a second and then lower your hand back down. Repeat 10 times and do three sets. When this exercise becomes easy, you may hold a light weight such as a can of soup or dumbbell in your hand.
Wrist Flexion and Extension Strengthening
This exercise is similar to the wrist flexion and extension stretches, except you will be holding a weight in your hand to provide resistance. For this exercise, sit down at a table and position your hand over its edge. Place your hand so that your palm is facing up. Slowly flex your wrist by bringing your hand up towards your body. Pause for a second and then lower your hand back down. Repeat 10 times and do three sets. Now, flip your hand over so that your palm is facing down. Extend your wrist by bringing your hand up towards the ceiling. Repeat 10 times and do three sets. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, try using a light dumbbell in your hand.
Finger Abduction With Rubber Band
Resisted finger abduction exercises such as this will also help strengthen the muscles in the hands, which will help alleviate your symptoms and prevent future cases of this condition. To do this exercise, put a rubber band around the tips of your affected fingers, including your thumb. Begin with your fingers close to one another and then pull your fingers outward, using the rubber band for resistance. Repeat 10 times and do three sets. The difficulty of this exercise can be increased by using a rubber band with greater resistance.
