Thumb joint pain may be rheumatoid arthritis, but it may also be associated with conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, osteoarthritis, and tenosynovitis. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis experience persistent, symmetrical proximal metacarpophalangeal joint pain, but thumb joint pain alone does not confirm the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. Patients can confirm the diagnosis through routine blood tests, autoantibody tests such as rheumatoid factor and anti-cyclic citrullinated polypeptide antibodies, and imaging tests. Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may experience numbness, tingling and burning pain in the thumb joint, patients with osteoarthritis may also experience pain in the thumb joint, which is more common in the elderly, and patients with tenosynovitis may experience pain in the thumb joint that is aggravated after activities. It is recommended that patients go to a regular hospital as soon as possible, actively cooperate with the doctor’s treatment, to avoid delaying the condition.