"knitter's thumb"

Has anyone else experienced an arthritic thumb; and if so, what was the solution. I've been given different options to alleviate the pain, but neither is appealing to me (removing a bone or fusing two bones together).
It's my left thumb and can be very painful depending on the pattern I'm working (either knit or crochet). No brace has helped since it catches on my yarn.
I'm in upstate NY--would appreciate any possible info or suggestion based on your experience.