Sore Thumb Joints - Is It The Grip?

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

This may have to be filed into the "Duh" or "Doh" category, but here's the deal...

 

Been dealing with sore thumb joints in both hands all season long.  Coincidentally, I've been gaming Golf Pride full cords grips all season. Correlation?

 

Nothing hurts while I play or practice, but the dull pain is almost constant otherwise - to the point where using a simple screwdriver becomes an exercise in fumble-handedness.

 

Y'all think it's the grip?  Love the feel of the cords, but not the sore thumbs....

 

 

[silver & black]

Sounds more like Arthur is paying a visit to me.

 

I have the same problem on an intermittent  basis. I use drills, screw guns and hand planes on a daily basis. At times I get really bad pain in my index fingers at the first joint. A few ibuprofen and a few days of being careful how I grip the tools and it goes away.

[Kenny B]

It's possible, but I would think the trail thumb wouldn't be affected as much as the lead thumb.  Do you have a "short thumb" on the shaft or a "long thumb"?  If they are the same soreness, then it's likely something else.  Midsize grips maybe?

 

A few days off from golf and something to reduce inflammation may be all that's needed.  I've been taking naproxen (Aleve) for several years and it seems to help for general pain.  Not everyone can take it, but works for me better than ibuprofen.  You can't take both!

[PlaidJacket]

Since I can't see your grip I assume its ok. Sorry to say but I think you might want to see a doctor. You ain't a spring chicken any more.

[jbil8802]

FWIW, I switched to a long thumb grip with my lead hand two months ago when I was fighting a nasty hook. Since then, I've had some occasional soreness at the base of the thumb around the joint of my lead hand. I've been playing Golf Pride NDMCs and the new SuperStrokes for the whole season.

[BIG STU]

My dad who was a pro and teacher never liked the thumb down the shaft anyhow. He said this in the 60s that sort of grip could cause hand problems down the road. He was also a athletic trainer and was a trainer for a short while for a women's college basket ball team in the late 40s.

I can see as some have mentioned about power tools causing pain because I was a diesel mechanic for a number of years and the repeated use of power tools caused me pain.

Actually I do get touches of it now especially when the weather gets cooler. What I do and don't laugh is spray my hands with WD-40 and massage it in good and then wash my hands. Don't laugh it works for me an old time mechanic showed me that trick a few years back. I also work out with my hand grippers no matter how bad it hurts and that seems to work and of course I take Iboprof

[westy]

If you had wrist pain then possibly an overly firm grip might cause tendinitis to flare (that'll be me then), but thumb joints?

 

Struggling with how a change of golf grip causes joint pain.

 

If your dayjob involves a lot of manual work with your hands, then I'd call arthritis. Of if you've ever broken your thumbs - many of us have playing sport ( most of my fingers and toes over the years playing rugby, hockey and cricket) and that lead to arthritis pain. On a cold day my hands look like claws!

 

Trip to the doctors I would have thought.....

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Never really thought about short thumb/long thumb -- but checked while playing yesterday and I'm long thumber...maybe explains why I couldn't hit a damn thing yesterday!!!

 

Gotta say, from the day I turned 55, stuff is hurting on me that wasn't hurting the day before.  Father time, as Tiger says, is undefeated.

 

I'd go to the doctor, but I'm worried he'll say stop golfing for a while....

[Kenny B]

It's amazing what few days off will do for joints.  I'm afraid the Dr. would be right to say that.  That said, I have played through a lot of pain, but I think it has resulted in bad habits.  

[westy]

Time off? That's what the winters for isn't it!

[sp0rtsfan86]

I had the problem a few weeks ago. Turned out my right thumb was doublejointed and had become unstable. A quick chiropractor visit confirmed that as long as I laid off it it should heal. It's sprung up again once or twice but really hasn't been a bother.

[Fireinthehole]

Interesting. I had something similar this year. But it was only in my left thumb 2nd joint from the base. I had a short thumb and was really pressing that joint into the grip. Corrected how I gripped and have been fine.

Both thumbs is odd unless your pressing down with both.