You may be describing symptoms of joint arthritis. Various studies report different amounts of osteoarthritis (OA) in the general population. Most say it's around eight to 12 percent. A few researchers put it as high as 33 percent (one in three) among postmenopausal women.

The reason for these rates is unclear. Hormones may have a key role. Smoking and obesity have been shown as risk factors for thumb OA in women.

According to one study, work load and physical stress aren't directly linked to finger or thumb OA. More studies are needed to find the most common risk factors for each age group. This would include premenopausal and postmenopausal women and men of all ages.