Trigger finger is a painful and limiting hand condition that makes it difficult to uncurl the affected finger. Fortunately, early treatments can be highly successful and often lead to permanent results. Even with surgery, outcomes are good for most people with trigger finger. You can learn more about how our hand & wrist specialists treat trigger fingers in this video featuring Dr. Dale Rader.
What Is Trigger Finger?
Trigger finger is a locking, catching, or freezing of a finger due to thickening or swelling in the tendons or tendon sheath. If you have this condition, your finger becomes difficult to move and may get stuck in the flexed, or curled, position.
Flexor tendons connect forearm muscles to the bones of the fingers and thumbs. When the muscles contract, the tendons pull on and bend the fingers. The flexor tendons pass through tendon sheaths, which are also attached to the finger and thumb bones.
In trigger finger, parts of the sheath, and sometimes the tendon itself, become inflamed and thickened. A nodule may develop, as well. These conditions make it more difficult for the tendon to glide through the sheath during muscle contractions, leading to trigger finger and its symptoms.
Primary trigger finger symptoms include catching, locking, and pain in the finger during movements. Patients have stiffness in the fingers, especially in the morning. According to Dr. Rader, “Oftentimes, patients’ fingers are stuck down. They have to forcibly move it in order to get it unstuck.”
What Causes Trigger Finger?
Swelling and thickening are the underlying causes of trigger finger, but there may not be one primary cause of these. Several risk factors are associated with the tissue changes that cause trigger finger:
- Being between the ages of 40 and 60 and female
- Repetitive motions of the fingers and thumbs, such as in tasks like gardening or using tools
- Using forceful finger and hand motions
- Having osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Having diabetes or gout
Trigger Finger Treatment: Conservative Care to Surgery
Conservative treatments are the first choice for most patients with trigger finger. Even surgeons promote these treatments first before resorting to surgery:
- Splinting, especially at night, can help reduce swelling in the fingers that worsens trigger finger.
- Corticosteroid injections are most effective early in treatment, reducing swelling in the sheath and tendons.
- Hand therapy is specialized therapy that helps patients improve mobility and reduce pain with specific exercises and stretches.
According to Dr. Rader, he often sees patients when they cannot “unstick” their trigger finger. Typically, patients are “able to run it under warm water, gradually bending it and straightening it out to loosen it up.” When that does not work, Dr. Rader says he can provide an injection to get the finger mobile again.
Trigger finger can resolve on its own or with these conservative measures if addressed early enough. For some patients, the tissue thickening has been going on for a while and has progressed to the point that it does not respond to conservative treatments.
Fortunately, trigger finger surgery is minimally invasive. It requires only a small incision in the palm and takes just about 10 minutes to complete. Recovery from surgery is quick, too. Most patients recover in 3–4 weeks, and surgical complications for this procedure are low.
Patients respond very well to trigger finger procedures, and it is often a permanent fix. Recurrence is rare, but some patients might develop the condition in other fingers.
When Is It Time To See a Specialist for Trigger Finger?
The sooner you see a trigger finger specialist, the easier it will be to treat. Earlier treatment provides better outcomes, including an increased chance of totally resolving symptoms.
Early specialist care can also help you avoid surgery. According to Dr. Rader, “if symptoms are very early on, they respond really well to the injection to the point where you might not need anything else.”
There is no wrong time to see a specialist for your trigger finger. Make an appointment to see our hand & wrist experts at EmergeOrtho-Foothills Region for an evaluation.
