(strap do you wear for your thumb?)

FUTURO, can get them at grocery or CVS type stores. 

Thanks everyone.  The exercises will be very helpful, Ken.

Marg, what kind of strap do you wear for your thumb?

I know I have arthritis in my thumb so I'll have to be careful about how long I play.  I have Herdim picks and will switch off.  Thanks again for your input everyone.

It sounds like you have the same problem I do.  If it is the same problem, you have arthritis in the joint at the base off the thumb.  Not curable.  Playing less helps but does not eliminate the problem. A thumb splint may help if you can find one that immobilizes the joint but still allows you to hold a pick.  There is a surgical procedure which might help but make sure you have a well qualified hand surgeon perform it. It consists of splitting tendon in your arm and bringing half of it down and packing it into the space at the base of  the thumb joint created by removing some one. Recovery is about six months and you will probably have less hand strength than before.

Here's the Hand Health article I put together 'way back when; from an exercise taught by my fencing master to promote wrist flexibility primarily.  I'm not sure how much effect it would have on the base of the thumb, but, as Salt Springs suggests, it might help:

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/files/articles/28/hand_health.pdf

There used to be an article on Hand Health that Strumelia had on another site as I recall.   Perhaps she can tell us where to find it if it is still available.

 I can see where ' Herco Thumb-Flat pick.'  wouldn't be dropped but if the pain is from the strum itself the pressure used would still cause pain. I also have thumb pain where the thumb joins the waist. I wear a strap for my thumb & it helps but ... I find herdim triple sided nylon picks are large so easier to hold and easy on the strings to strum, not causing undo stress in the strum or stress on the thumb.

Good luck

I'm a strummer and practice/play at least an hour each day.  I also play with 2 groups a week which amounts to 2 hrs each of playing with them. 
So I think I stressed my hands a couple weeks ago.  The 10 min I referred to was just to start playing again,  I never heard of the Herco thumb flat pick but will definitely look into it.

Thank you for responding.  If the pain persists, I definitely will consult a doctor.

What style of right hand are you using -- strum, fingerpick, flatpick?  How many hours per day/week are you playing?  You say only 10 minutes a day, but if that's so, the injury is not related to your dulcimer playing.  If it persists for another few days make an appointment with at least your GP, if not a specialist.   If you are strummer, look up the Herco Thumb-Flat pick.

A week ago my rt hand thumb hurt so bad I couldn't play.  It's mostly in the joint and meaty part of the thumb.  I could not hold a pick. No, I do not have a death grip on the pick.  So I did not play for about 5 days, did alternative heat and ice.  It's only so-so. I play for maybe 10 minutes a day.  But the thumb is still sore and I don't want to stress it anymore.

Anyone else have these issues and what suggestions do you have. Dulcinina