Do your thumbs ache? Do you have pain along the thumb

side of your wrist? If so, you might have basilar joint arthritis. The thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint is the most common joint in the hand in which to have painful arthritis. For reasons of mechanical

advantage, the pressures exerted at the thumb tip while doing pinching- and grasping-type maneuvers is magnified by a factor of 10. That leads to accelerated wear and tear at the joint at the base of the thumb, by the wrist.

Typically, this is seen in more women than men, and usually in the age range of the 50's to 60's. However, it can be experienced in both genders and at earlier ages, as well. Basilar joint arthritis symptoms include an aching or burning pain that may or may not be related to activity level and/or the weather. It'll hurt during the day, and keep you up at night.

Basilar joint arthritis treatment involves first making the proper diagnosis. That can be done by seeing a hand specialist and having x-rays of the thumb and wrist done. The x-rays don't always match what you're feeling, though. Some people have very mild arthritic

change on the x-rays, but fairly significant pain. Other people have absolutely awful-looking x-rays, but not much pain at all. Treatment should center around your pain, and not so much what the x-rays look like. Splinting, oral anti-inflammatories, and steroid injections are all employed initially. But if even those methods aren't sufficient, then there are a variety of surgical procedures that can be done. Exactly which one will work best for you will depend on a variety of factors. At that point, it's a good idea to consult with a local Los Angeles hand surgeon to evaluate your options.