Does one of your fingers lock up when you open or close it? Maybe it even snaps open with a clicking sound. If so, you may have trigger finger.
What Is Trigger Finger?
The medical term for trigger finger is stenosing tenosynovitis. While it can affect any finger, it is most common in the thumb or ring finger. Over time, it becomes painful and interferes with your ability to pick up, grab, or point.
Let’s discuss trigger finger, its symptoms, and treatment options.
Finger Anatomy
Understanding trigger finger is easier with a little information about your fingers’ anatomy and how they work.
Tendons are strong, fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones. They allow us to move our fingers, toes, and other joints, like when we make a fist: the muscles contract, or tighten, pulling the tendons in our fingers.
Each of our fingers has a tendon that extends from the base to the tip. Surrounding each tendon is a protective tissue called the synovial sheath which produces a lubricant. Over the sheath are soft tissue structures called pulleys.
When everything is working correctly, you’ll never notice those underlying tissues, because your joints move smoothly and feel fine.
However, you can injure the tendon, a sheath, or a pulley. Injuries often cause swelling and sometimes scarring—which can restrict the tendon’s movement.
Trigger Finger Causes
You may never know what caused your trigger finger. However, trigger finger might be caused by repetitive motions and it’s more common in women than men. Also, people in some occupations may be more affected by the condition:
- Assembly line workers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Dentists
- Gardeners
- Musicians
- Secretaries
- Stenographers
A direct cause of trigger finger has never been proven. However, you have a higher risk of developing it if you have one of the following conditions:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes, particularly type I
- Gout
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Trigger Finger Symptoms
Fortunately, diagnosing trigger finger is easy. You probably won’t need extra testing to confirm whether or not trigger finger is the problem.
In addition to having your finger lock up and snap open, you may not be able to straighten it completely. If you have trigger finger, you’ll also probably have one or more of the following symptoms:
- Redness or swelling
- Pain, especially at the base of the finger affected
- Clicking or popping when you open or close your hand
- Stiffness, more pronounced in the mornings
- Lump at the base of your finger
Non-Surgical Trigger Finger Treatment
It may get better if you give your finger time to rest and heal. Like many inflammatory issues affecting muscles, joints, and tendons, ice and immobilization is the first approach and encourages healing. Your doctor may also recommend over-the-counter medication to reduce the pain.
If your symptoms haven’t improved after a few weeks, your doctor may recommend cortisone injections. After these treatments, if your finger feels better, physical therapy can help regain full movement.
Surgical Trigger Finger Treatment
After all non-surgical treatments have failed to relieve your symptoms, surgery may be the next step.
While surgery is always the last resort, trigger finger surgery has an excellent success rate of up to 97%. You should only need a local anesthetic and will most likely be home the same day.
There are three main types of surgery available for trigger finger, but the first two are the most common. Here’s a little about each:
Open Surgery: After numbing your finger, the surgeon makes a small incision in your palm, near the affected thumb or finger. Then, they’ll cut the tendon sheath and move your finger around to ensure your finger is moving smoothly. Afterward, a few stitches will close up the cut.
Pertucaneus Release: When your middle or ring finger is the problem, percutaneous release is more common. Your doctor may even do this procedure in the office.
After numbing the area, your doctor will insert a thick needle into the finger around the affected tendon. Then, they will move the needle around inside to break up the blockage. Your doctor may use an ultrasound to confirm that the needle opened the tendon sheath.
There’s no incision, so no stitches. This method usually has a quick recovery time.
Tenosynovectomy: In this surgery, your surgeon will part of the tendon sheath so the finger can move freely again. The surgery type is much less common and only recommended if the first two methods are not appropriate for your situation.
Schedule an Appointment Today
Do these symptoms sound familiar? Schedule an appointment at one of our clinics today. Reach out to our team of dedicate healthcare professionals at (386) 255-4596.