In Arthritis, 'Arth' means movement of hands and feet and 'Ritis' means wear and tear i.e. deterioration of joints. Rheumatoid arthritis or Arthritis in the thumb occurs in the basal joint of the thumb, hence it is also called Basal Arthritis. This disease mostly occurs in people over the age of 40 or 50. Bones are made from cartilage, but people who have arthritis in their thumbs lose the cartilage in their bones, due to which the two bones rub against each other, causing damage to the joints and causing pain.
