The actress-and-singer damaged her digits when Robert encouraged her to give him a vigorous rubdown for a scene in Meet the Fockers.
She said in an interview with British talk show host Jonathan Ross: "He kept saying do it harder, I sprained both thumbs, I had to have cortisone shots. That's method acting!"
In the interview, the 67-year-old star also revealed she gets infuriated with her husband James Brolin - who she married in 1998 - because he doesn’t tidy up after himself at home.
She explained: "I'm a stay-at-home kind of gal, a homebody. He is messy and I'm very tidy. I've been telling him for 13 years but he doesn't listen to me!"
Although Barbra loves spending time at her house in America, she does enjoy visiting the UK to indulge her cravings for traditional English foods.
She said: "I'd like to start the day off with bangers [sausages]... then tea with scones, mashed strawberries and clotted cream."
