Thumb Pronation

• In "Kinesiology: Movement in the Context of Activity," David Paul Greene and Susan L. Roberts explain that thumb pronation is one way in which your thumb moves or rotates on a cone shaped axis, and that thumb pronation, or circumduction, changes the positioning of the thumb from the thumb's interior side to the thumb's exterior side. The axis on which the thumb moves is centered on the carpometacarpal joint that connects the thumb to your hand via the trapezium bone in your wrist. Exercises that are performed to improve thumb movement and pronation focus on the carpometacarpal joint and the muscles surrounding the joint.
  
  

Diagnosis and Treatment

• See your doctor if you suspect you have arthritis. Your doctor will collect a full medical history from you and examine your hands and other joints to look for signs of an arthritic condition. Your doctor may take X-rays to view images of your bones and joints, and you may be offered anti-inflammatory medications for any swelling and inflammation. In extreme cases, cortisone injections are put into the joints of your hands and thumbs to reduce swelling, pain and inflammation, but the relief is only temporary. You may need physical therapy to improve your hand mobility, and you may be required to wear braces on your hands to reduce pain. Range of motion exercises are recommended to improve thumb pronation and to give you the most mobility of your thumb. In extreme cases, joint replacement surgery is performed.
  
  

Thumb Stretching

• Perform regular thumb stretches to help relieve stiffness and to maximize thumb pronation sometimes associated with arthritic conditions. Grab your sore thumb with the opposite hand. Pull the thumb back gently but firmly until it is in the upright position and perpendicular to the palm of your hand. Push your thumb up from the base of the thumb where the thumb joins your palm. Avoid pulling on the tip of your thumb, so you don't force the thumb to over extend. This exercise stretches the muscles surrounding the carpometacarpal joint, which is primarily responsible for your thumb's range of motion. Repeat this exercise five to 10 times a day to promote joint flexibility and to increase thumb pronation.
  
  

Thumb Flexions

• Open up your palm and place all of your fingers close to one another. To perform a thumb flexion, extend your thumb out away from your hand. Move your thumb across your palm and touch the tip of your thumb to the bottommost part of your pinkie finger. Return your thumb to the extended position. Repeat this exercise 10 times daily to improve your thumb pronation.