All conditions
Condition
Thumb base arthritis
Wear at the saddle joint at the base of the thumb (the carpometacarpal or CMC joint). Pain with pinching, opening jars, and turning keys is common.
Common triggers
- Years of pinch-heavy tasks
- Family history; more common with age
When to seek care
- Pain that limits self-care or work
- Visible deformity at the base of the thumb
- Grip weakness that doesn't recover with rest
Watch a curated demo
Patient education · Thumb base arthritis
Watch on YouTube Your practice loop
Pause where you want, then tap A for where the loop starts and B for where it ends. Turn Autoloop off anytime — your A/B times stay saved for this video.
Now 0:00 · Loop 0:00 → end of video
Full video. Native YouTube controls stay in the player frame.
Related care
Splints often used
Sources
- Arthritis of the thumb — American Society for Surgery of the Hand(accessed 2026-04-22)