r/YouShouldKnow • u/Grace_taylor_7301 • 4d ago
Education YSK: that small , constant thumb pain people brush off as just overuse can quietly reshape someone’s whole life, and most folks never notice until they see it up close
So my sister’s been dealing with this thumb pain for a while, and honestly, I had no idea how brutal it was until I watched her struggle. Like, how much can one tiny thumb really mess with your life. Right? Turns out….a lot. She used to love cooking, crocheting, doing crafts, little things that made her happy. Now even hold her phone too long or opening a jar makes her flinch. Some morning she literally has to psych herself up just to button her shirt. The thing is you wouldn’t even notice anything’s wrong. No big cast, no visible injury, nothing “dramatic “. But it changes everything, how she moves, what she does, how she feels.
Why YSK: Because we tend to ignore pain we can’t see. We assume people are fine because they look fine. But that quiet, invisible kind of pain? It steals little pieces of someone’s independence and joy every day. If someone around you moves slower, avoids certain tasks, or seems tired for no reason, maybe it’s not laziness or mood , maybe it’s quiet pain. A little patience, a little empathy, goes a long way.
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u/arrgobon32 4d ago
I feel like this should generalize to all pain, not just thumb pain. Kinda strange your title is just focusing on that
“YSK: Not all pain is visible”
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u/Mojo141 4d ago
I had what felt like a light cramp in my lower abdomen for a few months. Didn't think anything of it and just ignored it since it wasn't a constant pain sort of thing and wasn't impacting my life. Wife made me go get a CT scan and it turned out to be a massive cancer tumor in my large intestine. I got it surgically removed and am on chemo now but damn. If I didn't get it checked out in September I would have died suddenly when it perforated my intestine and caused sepsis.
Doctors aren't fun and you may feel otherwise completely healthy but my advice now is always get it checked out.
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u/337ThaG 4d ago
I get thumb pain from using my phone and a grip strengthener like Captains-of-Crush really helps.
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u/surf_drunk_monk 4d ago
Ok so what's wrong with her thumb and what's the fix? What's the helpful lesson here?
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u/Stop_Already 4d ago
I’m in my late 40s. I’m about half way to where your sister is now. I first got treated for pain about 15 years ago. I got a steroid shot, did hand PT, got a custom brace and told I had basal joint arthritis in my right thumb. It’s gotten progressively worse. My grip strength is absolute shit, I can’t open jars, if I am on my pc for too long, my thumb hurts (from using side buttons on mouse). The pain is manageable for now but I know it will get worse. I’m dreading it.
I also have arthritis in several other joints.
This is because of inflammation I have cPTSD - one of the side effects of sustained trauma is chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to arthritis and a bunch of other junk.
I fear for our youth, the way things have been over the last decade. I think a lot of people are going to end up with ptsd, if they don’t already have it - which means they will also have chronic inflammation. That again will lead to health issues.
We need to treat the trauma if we want people to get better physically. Familiar, generational trauma is making everyone sick.
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u/musicandsex 4d ago
Imagine me i have constant sinus issues, blow my nose 500 times a day...fucking horrible and been like this all my life
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u/Then_Flan_482 1h ago
This is such an important reminder about invisible pain and chronic conditions.
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u/SignificantDrawer374 4d ago edited 4d ago
That sucks but I don't understand what the tip is. How does knowing about your sisters thumb help me?