Library job vs. My hand pain (not carpal tunnel...)

March 4, 2009 4:27 PM

My dominant hand has a painful, bony bump at the joint where my index finger and palm meet (the MCPJ) and I AM going to see a Dr this week about it. Can anyone recommend things I can do to help it not get worse? I cannot not type at my job.

If you've had something similar where just one digit was out of commission, what did you do? I want something like a splint to keep it from bending at the base, but I can't find anything like it for the palmar-finger joint. I work at my keyboard constantly, and using the mouse is getting difficult. I've heard of ergonomic mice but I'd like to know people's experiences before I plop down some cash.

But also... WTF? I've had this thing for years but it suddenly grew to the size of a pea and started hurting. Can people even get bone spurs in their hands? Again, am seeing a Dr soon, but I've never heard of this sort of thing. I asked a similar kind of question on AskMe last year which turned out to be very helpful! My hope is to find a similar outcome for this query. Thank-yee.

posted by wowbobwow to health & fitness (6 comments total)

Partial answer: Switch from mouse to trackball. I work with some arthritics (and graphic designers!) who have done this and swear they would never go back to a mouse under any circumstances.
posted by coolguymichael at 4:51 PM on March 4

Sounds like a cyst. I've had a few of them in my life at the joints of my fingers, nothing debilitating thankfully! They'll probably stick a big needle in and drain it OR (I hope not, but its possible) they'll try and smash it to break it up. Good luck! In the mean time take some motrin or advil for the pain.
posted by Unred at 4:58 PM on March 4

Probably a ganglion cyst.
posted by 6:1 at 5:04 PM on March 4

I have on e in the same place from using a screwdriver all the time, when it flares up, I change hands for a week or so. I'm resigned to existing with it.
posted by Max Power at 7:16 PM on March 4

My cousin has gotten these (ganglion cysts in her hands) since childhood. Apparently the treatment for one that she had just above her wrist joints on the back of her hand was to smack a book on to it to break it up. And it freaking worked. Science is strange.
posted by annathea at 7:20 PM on March 4

I had a ganglion cyst form on my dominant (left) hand, probably about 3" or so from the bottom knuckle of my index finger (and probably about an inch from my wrist bone).

I had surgery to remove it. Twilight sleep for maybe an hour or so, a splint for a week or so, and it never came back (going on 8 years and counting).
posted by Lucinda at 8:08 PM on March 4