What do you do when your thumb joint hurts 2 months after injury?

Thumb injury proximal phalanx?

• Okay..I know I need to goto the doctor...but I can't..im in college and im poor and I don't have the money...I can deal with the pain if I have to, Im curious what everyone thinks it is and what I can do to try to help it. Anyone got any ideas? Its my left hand, which I hurt a few months ago...I was trying to pop it at the metacarpo-phalangeal joint, and I guess I hurt it..its been hurt for a few months...it would only get sore when I press on the top of the thumb at the proximal phalanx and press down towards the bottom of my hand...it just gets really sore...My knee used to feel the same pain..for like 4-5 years...and it still does a little but rarely..only after a lot of use...I plan on having them both looked at after college..but until then..should I just wrap the thumb up and keep it immobile for a bit? should I do excercises with it afterwards? if so what kind...is it possible that I tore a ligament or a tendon in it completely? I would think if I did that id be in too much pain to even move the thumb, but it only hurts when I push down towards the bottom of my hand...Also if I squeeze the joint..its a little sore but I cant figure out quite where it gets sore at..seems like its at the bottom of the thumb but when im pushing down on it it hurts worse towards the middle of the thumb near the joint between the distal and proximal phalanx...kind of confusing..i can squeeze that joint all I want and it doesnt hurt..but when I move the other bone..it hurts right below that joint the most..

• Answer:

  If you are in college see if you can visit student health services. Your activity fees should be paying for it already and use it. I did when I had a pleuralsy of the right lung in my 4th year at Marshall. If that goes nowhere then I recommend going to the Sports Medicine department to se if they can help in any way.