RISE AND GRIND!

Taking time to rest and recover can be difficult, as we begin to focus more on our daily grind. It can feel as if we wake up, slave away the day, and go straight back to sleep. Often, we find it hard to make time for ourselves, our busy lives mean we frequently prioritize different tasks that may seem more important than our health.

Time to get off that hamster wheel . . .

Putting energy into work, effort into spending time with your family, and your heart into relationships can often mean we lose a grip on our own self-care and the attention our bodies need.

CAN ANYONE ELSE HEAR THAT CLICK?

A some point in our lives we have neglected our health, but there is always time to turn things around. When we finally focus on ourselves and start listening to our bodies, we may start to hear those cries for help.

Is it a bit more like shouting?

You may notice your body aches a bit more, things have stiffened up, or that you just cannot quite move like you used to. This is something a lot of us notice, but it can happen commonly to our thumbs, with conditions like osteoarthritis.

SO, YOU’VE LOST YOUR GRIP?

Osteoarthritis develops gradually over time, months, or even years as the cartilage in our joints gradually thins. This decrease prevents the joint from moving fluidly, causing pain, stiffness, swelling, and inflammation.

1 in 11 Australians have Osteoarthritis, which recently became the leading cause for hip and knee replacements.

Osteoarthritis of the thumb can also be caused by a history of repetitive strain injuries or trauma to the thumb. Many people experience a clicking noise, a grinding sensation, or even a loss of grip strength.

IT’S TIME TO GET A GRIP

The degeneration of joints occurs naturally as we age, and there is currently no cure for osteoarthritis. However, conservative treatment can help prevent further joint deterioration, reduce pain levels, and help you manage the symptoms of thumb osteoarthritis. In severe cases, you may find that you have trouble with daily activities such as gripping door handles or opening jars.

Go on, open that door!

Hands-on treatments can help with mobilizing your thumb joints and releasing tension from surrounding tight tissues. A practitioner may even treat the swelling around the joint by utilizing techniques that promote fluid flow and drainage. This can provide symptomatic relief and help improve the outcome of osteoarthritis while maintaining your independence.

NOW OPEN ALL THE DOORS!

The best thing for the osteoarthritis in your thumb is to keep your thumb moving, as maintaining your thumb’s motion is the key to managing your condition. With a treatment and management plan in place, you could expect to see some improvement in 4-6 weeks depending on the severity of your osteoarthritis.

Enhance that grip with 3 easy tips on managing your osteoarthritis:

• • Keep the joints warm! Applying heat to your thumb will help prevent those locking sensations.

• • Let loose! When you feel the muscles tighten in your hand or forearm self-massaging can help provide relief.

• • Mix things up! If you feel your thumb osteoarthritis has flared up, dissolve some Epsom salts in warm water to soothe the tissues.

STRENGTHEN YOUR GRIP!

Long-term management is an important part of your care. Osteoarthritis of the thumb can have a high impact on the quality of your life, as some of implications have a debilitating change. Maintaining your ability to complete daily tasks can help prevent the mental side effects of osteoarthritis and preserve your independence.

A thumbs down to osteoarthritis, but a thumbs up to you making a change.

Although you may have lost the ability to hitchhike, we are here to assist you on your healthcare journey and can help get you to where you need to go.