wasabi_VA Posted January 30 Posted January 30 I'm 58 and have experienced increasing thumb/CMC joint pain for the past year. Yesterday I finally saw a doc who confirmed the CMC joint arthritis. I received a steroid shot which is supposed to help with pain (although it is extra sore today). Fortunately I predominately fish spinning rods and hold my rod with my right hand, but hold my casting rods with my left hand. I did not fish much last year so didn't get to see how this increasing joint pain might affect my fishing but am sure it is just a matter of time. I'm getting a low profile brace and will have to see how that affects me holding casting rods and reeling with my left hand. I fish from a kayak and am also worried about how losing grip strength is going to impact me launching and recovering my kayak - which has been awkward and at times strenuous but doable with 2 good hands. Has anybody continued to fish through onset and further degradation of thumb CMC arthritis and have any tips of how you dealt with it? Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 30 Super User Posted January 30 I can't comment on fishing stuff, but around ten years ago I changed my seating position, posture, and grip when playing to drums to accommodate and mitigate arthritic pain. It's mostly trial and error. A bonus is the new doors that open up when playing differently than you'd played for 40+ years. I can only imagine it could be the same for fishing. Man, if I could pitch left handed… Quote
Super User casts_by_fly Posted January 30 Super User Posted January 30 My dad has CMC (or something very similar). Its been bothering him for years after 30 years of laboring. The past 5-6 years he has been getting shots for it. He's scheduled for surgery next month (and PO'd about it because it was supposed to be January to he'd be ready for fishing season but it got bumped). Quote
Super User J Francho Posted January 30 Super User Posted January 30 Hand surgery doesn't sound fun. I wish him a speedy recovery. Quote
Super User casts_by_fly Posted January 31 Super User Posted January 31 6 hours ago, J Francho said: Hand surgery doesn't sound fun. I wish him a speedy recovery. thanks. The doctor says it will fix it for good. 1 month for a hard cast. 1 month for a soft cast. 1 month of rehab. His favorite season is mid April to mid June for smallies and the cast doesn’t come off until mid april and then rehab. I think he’ll be doing grip strength exercises with a chronarch in his hand. 5 Quote
padlin Posted January 31 Posted January 31 Not the same but a couple years ago arthritis in my right hand fingers made it very hard to cast heavier weight lures using spinning gear, can’t hold the line tight enough to cast, and I think the rod grip for the pointer and middle fingers causes a lot of stress. My fix was to start using casting gear for the heavies, which I didn’t own. That seems to have eliminated the issue last year, although I then came down with carpel tunnel in both hands. Maybe you could back off on the casting gear and do more with the spinning. Wishing you the best. i had the 2 surgeries for the carpel tunnel this fall and winter. 1 Quote
Super User Darth-Baiter Posted January 31 Super User Posted January 31 which thumb? both? I saw a guy wrestle his kayak. I didnt ask, but he rigged up wrist straps to yank his boat around. he was pulling with his wrist stuck through webbing. he wasn't a fisherman, but he worked that boat like a pro. maybe a variation for your needs? 1 Quote
BassinCNY Posted January 31 Posted January 31 I had to go spinning only. I can still cast with a spinning reel with my right hand but then I have to switch to my left holding the rod and then reel with my right. I think I was 58 too the year I had to make that change. That was 7 years ago and the pain is still manageable with spinning gear. I fish about 20 hours a week from May to October. Quote
Super User WRB Posted January 31 Super User Posted January 31 Stress over time damages the CMC joint and arthritis set into the joint. Steroid shots reduce inflammation and physical therapy helps to reduce pain and keep the joint moving. Surgery is the last step to polish the joint removing spurs. Being a gymnasts in my youth my hand joints along with shoulders and spine were over stressed and arthritis is a chronic condition I deal with. Advil helps, Voltaren and CBD and exercise to stretch and keep the joints moving become a daily routine. If you have surgery then a soft brace needs to be worn until it heals followed by therapy. Using a bait casting reel with incorrect hand motion will over time stress the Thumb CMC joint. Watching pro bass anglers today most have incorrect hand motion. Your thumb should be facing towards your ear at the top of the casting motion and end up with the reel handle to the same side not with your thumb on top of the spool. The twisting of the wrist to rotate the reel over stresses the thumb CMC joint and wrist. Tom 1 Quote
Super User scaleface Posted January 31 Super User Posted January 31 I have minor issues. I rub veterinary liniment on affected areas and it seems to help. I had a sore, swollen finger last week and the horse liniment cleared it right up. My mom uses it on her hands and she swears by it. 1 Quote
The Rooster Posted February 2 Posted February 2 I have pain in the next joint up instead of that one, on the other end of that bone. It’s not often but it comes on several times a year. I attribute it to repeated screen tapping on my phone to stuff like replying to this post. If this is you, I would say less typing for posting and responses might help. Quote
pdxfisher Posted February 2 Posted February 2 I have arthritis in most of my joints(including thumbs), torn labrum in both shoulders (previous surgeries in both). All due to EDS joint instability. I just fish in pain and it takes about a week to recover from a trip, sometimes more. Can't get anything repaired or take NSAIDs due to kidney failure. Amazing what you can get used to. Quote
wasabi_VA Posted February 2 Author Posted February 2 46 minutes ago, The Rooster said: I have pain in the next joint up instead of that one, on the other end of that bone. It’s not often but it comes on several times a year. I attribute it to repeated screen tapping on my phone to stuff like replying to this post. If this is you, I would say less typing for posting and responses might help. You mean me or @WRB 🤣 46 minutes ago, The Rooster said: I have pain in the next joint up instead of that one, on the other end of that bone. It’s not often but it comes on several times a year. I attribute it to repeated screen tapping on my phone to stuff like replying to this post. If this is you, I would say less typing for posting and responses might help. You mean me or @WRB 🤣 Quote
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