Diagnosing Arthritis in Thumb & Wrist
- 1). Observe your wrists and thumbs. If the areas appear swollen for long periods of time, you may have arthritis.
- 2). Touch your wrists and thumbs. If the joint areas feel sensitive to the touch, it may be a sign of arthritis.
- 3). Roll your hands in a full circle, using your wrist joints as the rotation points. Those with wrist arthritis often have a limited range of motion.
- 4). Move your thumbs in large circles. If you aren't able to fully complete the circles, you may have arthritis.
- 5). Grip a ball in each hand. If you have trouble or experience pain gripping with your thumbs, it is sometimes a symptom of arthritis.
- 6). Examine the appearance of your wrists and thumbs. If they look particularly bony, it may be a sign of arthritis in the area.
- 7). Document any pain or discomfort you experience in your thumbs and wrists. Keep a journal for several weeks so you can describe the pattern of your pain to your doctor.
- 8). Your doctor will first perform a physical examination in which he will test the tenderness, range of motion and swelling in the joint areas. He may then take X-rays to view the bones and confirm if you do, indeed, have thumb or wrist arthritis.
