How can I protect my CMC joint?

Altering the way you use the thumb can be an important strategy because it decreases the pressure that is exerted on the CMC joint and avoids further injury. Begin by figuring out the activities that create pain, and then find out the ways to alter the way you do those activities.

Following are some tips to protect the thumb joint during some common tasks:

• While trying to lift a heavy plate or tray, keep your palms below it instead of gripping the sides.
• Avoid pinching books using your thumbs. Also, always hold the books with one of your palms flat below the book’s center and the other on the top in order to balance it properly.
• Expand the handle of your knife and other tools because larger handles will be easier to grasp.
• When you cut using a knife, grasp it using both hands for extra strength.
• When you stir, avoid pinching the spoon using the thumb. Rather, try holding it using your palm along with the fingers covering the handle.
• Grasp the toothbrush or hairbrush using your fingers by keeping the thumb alongside fingers.
• Lubricate those locks that are hard to turn.
• Rope keys to the key holder to let you turn them using your palm instead of the thumb.
• Utilize non slip rubbers or silicone mats for opening jars or bottles.
• Choose those garden tools that will help ease your thumb pain.
• For cutting with scissors, use those which are spring-loaded.
• While writing, use modified pens like Pen-Again with a distinctive grip that will place most of the pressure on the forefinger instead of your thumb.
• Utilize electric appliances electric can openers, electric toothbrushes, or electric screwdrivers.
• Make use of adaptive gadgets, such as bottle openers, pull-tab grabbers, and so on for opening containers and packages.
• Use shampoos and lotions that are available in bottles with dispensers rather than that require squeezing.