Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Greetings. I Have Recently Been Experiencing A Strange Clicking In
Posted on
Sun, 28 Apr 2019
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Sun, 28 Apr 2019
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : Greetings. I have recently been experiencing a strange "clicking" in my left thumb. There is no pain involved, it just cracks or clicks from the bottom joint of the thumb onto my hand. Is it just due to too much typing with my thumb on my cell phone email and texting? Is it indicative of arthritis? There are no other symptoms, no swelling, etc. It doesn't happen all the time, just occasionally. Could it just be a tendon? Thanks!
Actually, the clicking is in the first joint of the thumb under the nail. Whoops, it just cracked again!
Brief Answer:
Trigger thumb is a possible reason and should be ruled out
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and here is my advice:
Arthritis may cause clicking in the joints especially ostheoarthritis which is very common in hand and finger joints after 40 years of age and especially if repeated actions are done with the hands (typing for example).
On the other hand it is important to consider trigger thumb as the cause of the clicking. This is due to thickening of the tendon that runs along the thumb and might cause a clicking sound when you try to straighten the thumb. In some cases the thumb might feel like it is locked and you may find it hard to straighten spontaneously.
To conclude:
- ostheoarthritis may cause clicking sounds in the joints but you will need to rule out trigger thumb as a cause of your symptoms and a visit with your doctor will help to identify the thickened tendon or the reduced movement in the thumb (extension).
I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician
Trigger thumb is a possible reason and should be ruled out
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to "Ask a Doctor" service,
I carefully read your query and here is my advice:
Arthritis may cause clicking in the joints especially ostheoarthritis which is very common in hand and finger joints after 40 years of age and especially if repeated actions are done with the hands (typing for example).
On the other hand it is important to consider trigger thumb as the cause of the clicking. This is due to thickening of the tendon that runs along the thumb and might cause a clicking sound when you try to straighten the thumb. In some cases the thumb might feel like it is locked and you may find it hard to straighten spontaneously.
To conclude:
- ostheoarthritis may cause clicking sounds in the joints but you will need to rule out trigger thumb as a cause of your symptoms and a visit with your doctor will help to identify the thickened tendon or the reduced movement in the thumb (extension).
I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Thank you, Dr. Zotaj. I notice it now carefully when I BEND the thumb down at the top joint. That's when the clicking happens. But not all the time. It happens intermittently, but I never had it before. I do tend to type on my phone with my left thumb. It isn't locked, just does a click/cracking.
If I stop typing on my phone with my thumb will the problem possibly resolve on its own over time if I have no other symptoms?
Brief Answer:
Rest may be tried
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
You may try to reduce the movement in the thumb for a while. One of the treatments for trigger thumb is to rest the thumb. If you notice that it is getting more frequent or there is no improvement it might be more advisable to have it checked to make sure of the cause of it.
On the other hand it is difficult to completely rest hand and finger joints as they are quite needed in many daily activities, so sometimes rest in some cases means wearing a splint and this the doctor will recommend if it is needed.
I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician
Rest may be tried
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome back,
You may try to reduce the movement in the thumb for a while. One of the treatments for trigger thumb is to rest the thumb. If you notice that it is getting more frequent or there is no improvement it might be more advisable to have it checked to make sure of the cause of it.
On the other hand it is difficult to completely rest hand and finger joints as they are quite needed in many daily activities, so sometimes rest in some cases means wearing a splint and this the doctor will recommend if it is needed.
I hope this answers your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj, General & Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
