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February - OUTDOOR SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS SHOULD BE AWARE OF SKIER'S THUMBContact:
For Immediate ReleaseGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN - Skier's thumb is a common injury among outdoor sports enthusiasts, and accounts for about 10% of all skiing injuries. Skier's thumb may result when a skier falls on an outstretched hand while holding a ski pole in the palm of the hand, stretching the thumb and potentially damaging the ligament. However, skier's thumb may result any time the thumb is abnormally bent backward or sideways. This condition is characterized by an injury to the soft tissue that connects the thumb bones together. Severity of the injury may range from a slight strain to a complete tearing of the ligament. Skier's thumb is characterized by several different symptoms, which may vary in severity and occur minutes or hours after the fall. These symptoms include: pain at the base of the thumb, in the "web" between the thumb and the index finger; swelling of the thumb; discoloration of the thumb; wrist pain; and pain with thumb movement. Dr. David Petersen of the Michigan Hand Center explains, "The most telling symptoms of skier's thumb are an inability to grasp items between the thumb and index finger, and tenderness along the side of the thumb near the index finger." If any of the symptoms of skier's thumb are experienced following a fall, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. An emergency room visit may not be required, however, and a visit directly to a hand surgeon may be more efficient. After making sure that injuries do not extend past the thumb, a physician will evaluate the thumb and ask questions about when the injury took place, what was the position of the hand when it was injured, when did the pain begin, and how it feels at present. After checking the movement and tenderness of the thumb, x-rays may be taken. "If you suspect you may have skier's thumb, apply ice to dull the pain until you can see a doctor, and move it as little as possible," recommends Dr. Petersen. Based in West Michigan, the Michigan Hand Center provides care for disorders and injuries of the hand, wrist, and upper extremity. Their physicians are board certified and include orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons with specialty training in microsurgery and reconstructive hand surgery. Each physician has privileges at all major hospitals and clinics in Grand Rapids and Cutlerville, as well as at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Center in Grand Rapids. |
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