Thumb problems?

Aspect

Aspect

Aspect

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Birmingham
Does anyone else suffer from thumb problems, either from gaming or pc use. Im suffering with what the doctor called trigger thumb. I think its something to do with the tendons, instead or running smoothly they suddenly snap into place making my thumb click. The physio gave me an exercise to try, so ill see how that goes.

Am i alone here?
 
What are the exercises they told you to do. Moving my thumb on my left hand i can actually feel it clicking, maybe i have the same thing :(
 
Not thumb, but my right index finger can ache if I play Xbox games which involve a lot of trigger use, ie. driving games. You do have to guard against RSI and not overdo it.
 
Aspecto said:
What are the exercises they told you to do. Moving my thumb on my left hand i can actually feel it clicking, maybe i have the same thing :(
Click to expand...

Put your good thumb under the bad one, press the bad one down against the good one with only a little resitance. Do that say five times, then do it the opposite way round pushing up against the other. The idea being to strenghen your thumb muscles.


Hope that makes sense.

Also i guess you can press down against anything really, not just your other thumb :)
 
My little girl has trigger thumb, fairly common in kids.
Think of a tendon as being like a bicycle cable with the tendon running inside a sheath. If the tendon thickens (a sort of scar tissue build up) and the sheath narrows then the cable can't run through freely, it sticks and then pops through.

Que scalpel and tendon "trimming". Alternatively they simple slit the sheath a bit.
 
dirtydog said:
Not thumb, but my right index finger can ache if I play Xbox games which involve a lot of trigger use, ie. driving games. You do have to guard against RSI and not overdo it.
Click to expand...
I seem to get that a fair bit with Forza, but not as much with other driving games, for some strange reason. I guess I must just subconciously hold the controller different or something. It's definitely the S-Pad though, as I never felt it using the larger pad.
 
VIRII said:
My little girl has trigger thumb, fairly common in kids.
Think of a tendon as being like a bicycle cable with the tendon running inside a sheath. If the tendon thickens (a sort of scar tissue build up) and the sheath narrows then the cable can't run through freely, it sticks and then pops through.

Que scalpel and tendon "trimming". Alternatively they simple slit the sheath a bit.
Click to expand...

Well that sucks :(
 
Aspect said:
Well that sucks :(
Click to expand...

Hehe, yeah it is not nice for her, it only affects one thumb but she doesn't notice it.
Apparently they'll have to give her a general anaesthetic to be able to operate as she is too young to sit still and there is the risk of nerve damage.

I'm not comfortable with the idea of a general anaesthetic, not decided what to do about it.

Related problems are carpal tunnel syndrome - old people and lorry drivers get this - same as trigger thumb but affects all the fingers or can do and makes your hands curl up a bit over time.

I've had 4 tendons repaired myself in my right arm and it was a pretty unpleasant 18 months of physio.
 
Weebull said:
I seem to get that a fair bit with Forza, but not as much with other driving games, for some strange reason. I guess I must just subconciously hold the controller different or something. It's definitely the S-Pad though, as I never felt it using the larger pad.
Click to expand...

Funny you should say that - when I had Forza it seemed to hurt my finger the most as well. Maybe it was because some of the races were quite long, or because you have to concentrate hard throughout the race because one mistake means you lose, so you unconsciously grip the controller harder or something.

I do think that the triggers on the Xbox S-controller are too tightly sprung and need too much effort to pull - it's a slight design flaw IMO. A Dreamcast's triggers are much lighter. I wonder if the 360 controller is better.
 
I have the Mario thumb from playing Super Mario Bros./Super Marion Bros. 3 on the NES. It came from holding B continually with the tip of the thumb to remain running at all times, and using the base of the thumb to hit A for jump. It's nothing critical, but occasionally my thumb will lock straight and it has to be clicked so it bends. After that it's fine. :)
 
Aspect said:
Does anyone else suffer from thumb problems, either from gaming or pc use. Im suffering with what the doctor called trigger thumb. I think its something to do with the tendons, instead or running smoothly they suddenly snap into place making my thumb click. The physio gave me an exercise to try, so ill see how that goes.

Am i alone here?
Click to expand...

Mine have been clicking into place for about 4-5years now.. not much i can do about it. But the physio might help if you have some information.
 
I've definitely noticed it more whilst playing BA, using both sticks almost constantly in rotations and movements defintely causes some ache after a while on the old thumbs, I make sure I take regular breaks... Or I say that, I just need to get more beer pretty regularly :D
 
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