Basilar joint arthritis symptoms - Basilar Joint Arthritis Over view

The basilar joint is formed by a small bone in the wrist and the fist bone in the thumb. This joint allows the thumb to move in several directions for pinching and gripping. It is common to develop arthritis in the basilar thumb. Osteoarthritis and/or degenerative arthritis are conditions which develop from the natural wear and tear on the joints. Cartilage is what covers the end of the bones; the cartilage creates a smooth surface which protects the bones from wearing down by providing them that smooth surface which they use to glide down each other. With osteoarthritis the cartilage wears down to the bone, and the bones begin to rub together destroying the joint, causing pain, swelling and stiffness. Injuries to the thumb can make a person more likely to develop basilar joint arthritis. Women more commonly develop basilar joint arthritis more than men do.

Leading Los Angeles hand surgeons say there are several ways to identify whether one has begun to develop this syndrome, but the first is generally self detection. Basilar joint arthritis symptoms begin with feeling pain or weakness in the hands one should notice difficulty in doing set daily tasks.

• Difficulty gripping and turning objects , such as Door knobs, keys or a jar lid.
• Pain in the thumb when the whether becomes colder.
• Using the thumb often is painful
• Lump in the wrist, the joint becomes bigger and the thumb begins to look as if it is coming out of the joint.
• The thumb eventually collapses into the palm
• The second bone in the thumb bends outward to help compensate when gripping.

To identify weather or not basilar arthritis is causing ones symptoms the doctor will ask about ones daily activities and ask about any injuries to the hands, or thumbs. The doctors will examine the thumb looking for pain, swelling or a gritty sensation felt when there is pressure around the area of the basilar thumb. X-rays are the best possible way to determine weather or not a patient has developed arthritis.

To begin the basilar joint arthritis treatment the doctor will first prescribe resting the hand and taking an anti-inflammatory such as aspirin, ibuprofen and or wearing a splint. If the patient ceases to see any improvement in the pain or swelling the doctor may administer cortisone. Cortisone is an injection of a very strong anti-inflammatory medicine. If the symptoms still persist after several weeks then surgery may be a reasonable option for one. Surgery is generally successful in relieving the pain; patients are usually relieved from all their symptoms but need time to fully recover.