BBC doctor shares easy 'pinch' test for arthritis symptoms

BBC doctor shares easy 'pinch' test for arthritis symptomsAn orthopaedic surgeon appeared on BBC Morning Live to discuss how arthritis can be "very debilitating" and may affect unexpected areas of the body, particularly the hands and thumbsCommentsNewsSophie Buchan Money and Lifestyle Writer14:41, 14 Apr 2026View ImageDr Tom Naylor on BBC Morning Live(Image: BBC Morning Live)An orthopaedic surgeon said that arthritis can be “very debilitating” and may appear in unexpected areas.‌He explained that while people often think of hips and knees being affected, they don’t usually consider the hands. Talking about the pain which is often overlooked, Dr Tom Naylor said that "when you’ve got arthritis pain in the thumb right there (video below) it affects so much of what you do on a daily basis. And it really is debilitating for people who have this”.‌Speaking on BBC Morning Live, he explained arthritis as a term that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the joints. He said: “It literally means inflammation of a joint.”‌Talking about CMCJ, which stands for Carpometacarpal joint, he said that it was all to do with the "joint down at the bottom of the thumb and what happens is the joint starts to wear away and the cartilage starts to get more and more worn."Even a deformity can start to form and it impacts everything that you do with your hands.” Speaking about treatments for this type of arthritis, the doctor said: “With all types of arthritis, we tend to follow was called a stepwise approach to treatment.”You can try the steps below to see if they help your symptoms. It’s worth trying these first, such as hand therapy or changing how you hold things, before considering surgery.‌Step 1 - activity modification and painkillersStep 2 - splints and aidsStep 3 - hand therapy and injectionsStep 4 - Surgery if nothing is helpingWhen explaining step one, the doctor showed how easy it is to strain your hand. Try pinching your thumb and index fin...