Trigger Finger : The story of a "Stuck" Finger
What is Trigger Finger?
It is a condition when your finger ( maybe 1 or more than 1) gets locked as you open your hand from a closed position.
It looks as if you are pressing a trigger of a gun and hence the name.
How does it develop?
There are some tendons that control the movement of your fingers and these tendons are covered by a sheath. Due to various conditions which are written below this sheath gets inflamed at a specific point in hand called the A1-Pulley. This Pulley just works just like a pulley we use to lift water from a well. In our hands, it helps the tendons to glide around freely. Now because of inflammation at that specific point, this pulley no longer allows the tendon to glide smoothly resulting in a Locked Finger.
What are common causes of Trigger Finger?
There are various reasons that caused the Inflammation in your tendon sheath.
- Diabetes: Yes with so many other things Diabetes also cause this.
- Thyroid Problem: Another common cause of Trigger Finger
- Arthritis: Specially Rheumatoid Arthritis is famous for causing it and also Gout
- Injury: Quite often past history of Injury too is responsible.
- Idiopathic : Sadly sometimes we don't know what caused it !!!
What is the Treatment?
The first and foremost thing that your doctor will do is to find out what caused it and give you medicines for it.
There are some medicines to reduce inflammation and hence decrease the symptoms.
Along with medications you will also need some exercise. Click here for exercises.
My doctor advised me Injection, is it good?
Yes, sometimes if the pain doesn't improve injections are required at a specific point ( Remember the pulley?)
The trigger finger intervention is commonly done under Ultrasonography guidance to look into exact place for giving injection.
It is one of the rapid methods to reduce the pain and cure the locking of finger.
And is the injection painful?
No !! you will feel mild discomfort but due to a numbing agent with the injection, it goes away soon. (It's less painful than the Covid vaccine that you have taken)
Now, even after injections sometimes this thing reoccurs and hence you must not stop the exercises.
What things should I follow after Injection?
Avoid exercises for 48 hours (but start it soon after that!!) and don't do any repeated movement with the finger for a day or two (Give it a bit of rest) !!
What if it Reoccurs again and again?
In that case, you may have to undergo a small operation where the pulley is cut and the tendon is released from it.
Remember Never OPEN a locked finger Forcefully but use other Hand to Open it.
For further Query contact us.