Thumb pain is typically caused be a trauma or repetitive overuse and arthritis is another common cause of pain in the joints of the hands and fingers. Acute thumb pain can be a result of a jammed thumb or thumb sprain. Injury often occurs during sports activities when a player hits their thumb on the ball or another player, and after the injury, the thumb will usually swell, show signs of bruising and hurt when it is moved.

The ulnar collateral ligament is the large ligament is the point of injury in a sprained thumb and it is commonly referred to as skier’s thumb. Blackberry thumb is a new name coined by the symptoms caused by the repetitive stress of text messaging using cellular phones or handheld wireless PDA's (personal digital assistants).


Sprained or jammed thumb injuries can often produce chronic pain that last up to a year while the ligaments are healing. While this chronic pain may be frustrating, most jammed thumb injuries will completely heal with enough time. In some cases, the cushioning between your carpal bones (the various parts of the finger) may be torn. There is very little blood flow in most ligaments and tendons among other areas of cushioning, meaning that the rate of healing is much slower as well.


Whenever the thumb has been jammed hard enough to injure a ligament, the possibility of a broken bone is a real concern. It is important so see a specialist to determine the extent of the injury. A hand surgeon may opt to perform x-rays to determine if there is a fracture. Metal screws, pins, or plates may be used to hold the fractured bone together and many surgeons avoid surgery unless there is a fracture or muscle loss is occurring.

Arthritis may be the source of chronic pain due to a cartilage injury and surgery or cortisone injections may be recommended.Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is another common cause of thumb pain and paralysis. The median nerve can become compressed at the wrist between the carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament which causes the Thenar muscles of the thumb and the first three fingers, as well as the majority of the palm to become numb. Because it is often inflammation of the tendon sheaths that cause carpal tunnel syndrome, flexibility exercises that reduce pressure on the tendons should also be practiced. It is important for athletes to warm up the wrist area before they engage in any serious training to reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Isometric strength exercises are exercises where the muscles are contracted, but the limbs do not move. These exercise warm the wrists and nearby areas up, and they also strengthen the muscles and improve blood flow.