Suspect ruptured bursa (bursitis) on proximal side of thumb: How to find a doctor?

[runcibleman 28]

Hello,

Approximately four weeks ago, I came away from a session with my then still very much new Glock 19 feeling a tenderness at the base joint of my right thumb (yes, I am right-handed), on the proximal side, so on the side of the webbing between the thumb and forefinger. It was distinctly swollen and tender there, and I suspected that it might be from the rather large numbers of rounds I had been firing (about 300 per session) through such a relatively light and small gun that doesn't soak up too much of the recoil through its mass. The a slightly swollen bunch of some tissue or material around the joint remained swollen while the tenderness dissipated with time, though it was still slightly painful when I touched something with that part of the hand with any firmness (for example the backstrap of a gun if I didn't very deliberately wrap my thumb around the gun forward, slightly exagerating how far to the side the thumb was sitting).

I let it rest for the most part by keeping my shooting down to once a week, and lower the round count slightly to around 200 per session, and shooting more left handed. When shooting right-handed I also very intentionally wrapped my thumb around more to the side to avoid the recoiling backstrap from driving into that area, and then started placing my thumb not entirely forward by the side of the slide, but wrapped it around my supporting left thumb a bit, sort of old-school revolver shooting style.

Now the swelling dissipated almost entirely but the swollen mass has reduced and hardened a quite a lot. Even to firm touch it doesn't hurt in the least, but this mass it there, sitting right on the joint in the area shown in the picture. It extends slightly further down beyond what the picture shows, but not much. It seems to reside mostly exactly in that area that I marked.

So after trawling various forums I suspect this may have been a case of a traumatic injury to a bursa around the joint on the thumb, which serves as padding for the joint, but it was hit too often and too strongly thanks to bad grip on the Glock (although I may have also been bearing down the frame rather hard to boot). So I may have ruptured a bursa (buritis) which apparently can take months to heal fully. That said, I might want to consult an orthopaedic surgeon or sports medicine specialist to check and see what they say about continued shooting with the avoidance techniques I have mentioned already (shooting less right handed, and keeping that area deliberately away from the backstrap as much as possible). However, I am wary of anti-gun NJ, and the new laws which permit a random ass doctor for any reason whatsoever from having a patient's guns taken away and then the process and burden of getting them back and suing an anti-gun doctor in NJ are not something I want to try out.

So, is there any such doctor in northern NJ, preferably in the Essex County pit of anti-gun activism, who might be on our side and won't be a jerk just because the new laws allow them to be? And has anyone else ever experienced this and might have something to say about this and what to expect in terms of full recovery?

[silverado427 10,716]

[bhunted 887]

Best thing is ‘thumb’ through the yellow pages. Lmao....[emoji23]

Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Thumbs up! [emoji1303] Bahaha....I did it again. rotflmaowpimp...[emoji23]🤪[emoji13]🤣

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

[SJG 253]

ask your internist or GP for a referral or look on the internet---you are over thinking the problem--

[Tunaman 549]

drgo.us

[runcibleman 28]

14 minutes ago, Tunaman said:

drgo.us

Perfect! That's what I was looking for!

54 minutes ago, SJG said:

--you are over thinking the problem--

Maybe, but I am a concert pianist so I have to be proactive in identifying issues that may in the future impede my profession.

[Pizza Bob 1,488]

I feel your pain....literally

Not bursitis, hyper-extension of the thumb caused the ligament to break the bone at the base of the first joint. Had surgery last Monday (6/18) - prognosis is good, but I don't know when I'll get back to shooting.

I would recommend my doctor to you, but it is a bit far for you. He is with TOG (Trenton Orthopedics Group) which is part of the Rothman Institute. Just to allay your fears, he knows that I shoot - my original visit to him was because of a shooting related pain and it seems to matter not. His name is Aita  (he is their hand and wrist specialist), but I'm sure that you will be able to find someone locally. I will probably start PT in about two weeks.

Good luck.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[runcibleman 28]

5 minutes ago, Pizza Bob said:

 I will probably start PT in about two weeks.

Good luck.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

Oof, that kinda puts things on a different perspective for me! I thought a broken flexor tendon in a hand is bad, which I had before, but your case sounds ever a bit more horrific. Thank you and best of luck to you too! Absolutely do the physiotherapy punctiliously, I haven't heeded the regimen precisely before and still feel the consequences of that regularly.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

4 hours ago, runcibleman said:

Perfect! That's what I was looking for!

Maybe, but I am a concert pianist so I have to be proactive in identifying issues that may in the future impede my profession.

Concert pianist?! I think you're going to add a much-needed dose of culture here. 

[Smokin .50 1,907]

4 hours ago, runcibleman said:

Perfect! That's what I was looking for!

Maybe, but I am a concert pianist so I have to be proactive in identifying issues that may in the future impede my profession.

I know a sports medicine-centered ortho surgeon that just happens to be an IDPA competitive action shooter that routinely attends matches in Central NJ.  Let me know if ya wanna schlep to Warren, NJ and I'll put you in touch with my friend Dr. Dan.

[silverado427 10,716]

1 hour ago, Mrs. Peel said:

Concert pianist?! I think you're going to add a much-needed dose of culture here. 

Yo Adrian    What are you trying to say.  ?

[runcibleman 28]

1 hour ago, Smokin .50 said:

I know a sports medicine-centered ortho surgeon that just happens to be an IDPA competitive action shooter that routinely attends matches in Central NJ.  Let me know if ya wanna schlep to Warren, NJ and I'll put you in touch with my friend Dr. Dan.

Thank you, I'll certainly keep that in mind depending on the advice I get from the US drgo.us! Warren isn't too bad a drive for me.

[Mrs. Peel 7,157]

32 minutes ago, silverado427 said:

Yo Adrian    What are you trying to say.  ?

You seemed to have understood me perfectly. LOL!!! (Sorry. )

[Handyman 5,682]

Only thing I’ve ever seen cause a thumb to look like that was hyper-masturbation.

Just ask Zeke.

[silverado427 10,716]

17 hours ago, Mrs. Peel said:

You seemed to have understood me perfectly. LOL!!! (Sorry. )

 

[Zeke 5,504]

9 hours ago, Handyman said:

Only thing I’ve ever seen cause a thumb to look like that was hyper-masturbation.

Just ask Zeke.

Ya but you were playing with your pianist 

[silverado427 10,716]

1 minute ago, Zeke said:

Ya but you were playing with your pianist 

He said he was playing with his Glock.

[Zeke 5,504]

1 minute ago, silverado427 said:

He said he was playing with his Glock.

They don’t call him “Handy” fer nuffin..

I can’t believe @Mrs. Peelreferred to us as miscreants..

[Zeke 5,504]

-

[silverado427 10,716]

39 minutes ago, Zeke said:

Ouch. 

[Zeke 5,504]

Just now, silverado427 said:

Ouch. 

I did not cry. @High ExposureBut used local for the 12 stitches. Oven door hinge. In cab install.. had to be pried from my hand..

 

[GRIZ 3,369]

57 minutes ago, Zeke said:

@Zeke you should have sewn that up yourself like Rambo.

[High Exposure 5,664]

17 minutes ago, Zeke said:

I did not cry. @High ExposureBut used local for the 12 stitches. Oven door hinge. In cab install.. had to be pried from my hand..

 

You must be tougher than you look!

[Zeke 5,504]

Summabitch 

[Handyman 5,682]

2 hours ago, Zeke said:

 

That looks like the kind of thing that happens when you wear the safety knob off the end.

[Zeke 5,504]

3 minutes ago, Handyman said:

 

That looks like the kind of thing that happens when you wear the safety knob off the end.

This is why those Shockwaves are stupid. 

[Smokin .50 1,907]

19 hours ago, Handyman said:

 

That looks like the kind of thing that happens when you wear the safety knob off the end.

I did just THAT many, many years ago!  Friend thought he'd surprise me with 00-buck & I let both barrels loose on the SxS at just that moment.  My wound was a bit wider than the photo cause when I looked down in amazement, the scattergun was already broken open.  Instead of the safety my hand swallowed the lever to open the action.  I looked own inside that pocket of skin & it looked like pork chop ready to be stuffed, lol!  Direct pressure & elevation all the way to the hospital.  My friend felt bad so I didn't preach to him.  Karma struck & he almost passed-out watchin' when the Doc irrigated my wound with a foot-long needle of saline into my "pork chop"!  Dude turned white as a sheet.  I almost had to drive back to the range after being stitched-up  

30 years later and no more problems.  Oh, I told the ER folks that I did it with a scraper/ chisel & NOT a FIREARM!  No Po-Po report that way.....

[Zeke 5,504]

[voyager9 3,434]

30 minutes ago, Zeke said:

 

[Smokin .50 1,907]

30 minutes ago, Zeke said:

We've all grown-up.  Some have the scares to prove it, lol!  Hope you feel better soon!

~R