Have you had pain at the base of your thumb? This is the most common area to have pain in your hand, and if you practice yoga and regularly place your hand flat on your mat for table pose or downward facing dog, it can be quite a problem. I know it well, I have had pain in my left thumb joint for over a year.

The joint at the base of the thumb is called the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint. For some of us, it becomes painful, the motion becomes limited, and you may notice a loss of strength. You may suspect you have thumb arthritis.

Arthritis develops when the cartilage, which is found where the two bones come together, breaks down and extra bone grows. This is a slow process that happens over many years.

Why some people develop it and others do not is not fully understood. It is possible that some sort of injury, possibly long ago and not remembered, made you more prone to it. Some other risk factors include being a woman, being over 40, and doing jobs that repetitively strain the CMC joint. Hand-intensive jobs, like being a physical therapist, massage therapist, landscaper or nursery worker, childcare provider or fitness instructor, nursing, and many others, all require hand strength and repetitive motions.

Just because you have arthritis does not mean you will always be in pain or that you need to give up your most enjoyable activities.

There may be times when it is more bothersome than others, and you may find there are times when it doesn’t hurt at all. Trying interventions such as ice, splints, or ibuprofen may be helpful. Identifying what activities aggravate the joint is also important. For instance, you may not be able to knit for hours on end without taking breaks and purposefully stretching your hands and strengthening your shoulders.

It is extremely important to keep your hands moving through their full range so that your motion doesn’t become limited. Limited motion and poor strength can creep up on you if you let it go. You may notice it is hard to do things like open jars or hold tightly to slippery things.

Elevating the heel of the hand can decrease the strain on the wrist and thumb.

Can you still do yoga when your thumb hurts? Of course you can. Should you push through the pain and ignore it? Well, no, but that doesn’t mean you should stop doing everything yoga-related.

Unless you have had a fall on your hand and suspect you may have broken it, continuing to use your hand and thumb is recommended. You also want to make sure you continue to strengthen your upper back and shoulders to help keep your arms strong so that you don’t overuse your hands. Modifying your practice may be necessary to avoid too much pain or discomfort, and the style of yoga you practice may change or evolve.

For me, I practice a much slower style of yoga than I did when I was in my 20’s and 30’s. I do fewer downward-facing dogs, I use blocks and blankets much more, and I make sure that my practice serves my goals and not my ego. I take time to set up my hand and shoulder positions and allow myself to be playful in my practice rather than strict and judgmental.

I also began wearing a thumb splint when my thumb was particularly painful. I bought a Push CMC Thumb brace and it is amazing. I wear it for short amounts of time, and do strengthening for my grip.

Don’t give up your fun activities. Find ways to modify, keep the pain to a minimum, and strengthen.