rene@nlm-mcs.ARPA (Rene Steiner) (06/06/84)
I also have something my doctor says is probably tendonitis. My right thumb is sore when I move it (it hurts in the thick muscle below the thumb), and is tender to the touch between the thumb and forefinger. It's been this way since late February. So far I've waited a couple of weeks, taken anti-inflamatory drugs, had my hand wrapped in an ace-bandage for 3 weeks, gotten a shot of cortisone, and now I have a fiberglass cast for 3 weeks (it still aches sometimes, though). What I'm wondering is, is my doctor just guessing at what to do? He's a sports doctor, so I assumed he knew what he was doing, but this is getting really inconvenient (I'm right handed). It's hard to tell now (I've had the cast for 1 1/2 weeks now), but it was getting worse, especially after the cortisone shot. Could this be any other problem? Does tendonitis usually take 3+ months to get rid of? Does exercise help (he recommended exercise by sqeezing playdo, but it hurt too much)? Will I ever be able to play the piano? - rene -- rene@nlm-mcs