Trigger finger is a medical condition where the affected fingers start to bend inwards towards the palm. Then, slowly the affected finger may straighten or bend with a snap — like a trigger being released and pulled.
People involved in hobbies or work that demand repetitive gripping activities are at higher risk of contracting trigger fingers.
What are the causes
Muscles are attached to the bones with the help of tendons. Your body’s tendons are wrapped by a sheath that covers it. Trigger finger starts to develop when the sheath gets inflamed and irritated. As the condition worsens, the tendon’s normal gliding motion is affected.
When the condition is left untreated, the sheath slowly starts to scar, thicken, and cords are formed on the tendon that restrict motion or lock a finger in a bent position.
Symptoms of Trigger finger
Symptoms of trigger finger include:
- Soreness, pain, or swelling around the thumb or different finger.
- Clicking or snapping feeling as the affected finger or thumb is moved.
- The feeling of stiffness when bending your thumb.
- Trouble bending your finger.
Normally, trigger finger symptoms are more extreme in the morning and slowly improve over the day.
Myth Buster: Surgery is the only treatment option for the trigger finger.
Truth: The treatment for the trigger finger is not limited to surgery or corticosteroid injections. Treatment for the trigger finger also comprises Hand Therapy and several great options for mild to severe symptoms. In addition, seeking early treatment for the trigger finger is vital as non-surgical treatment success rates tend to decline with time. So, seeking treatment earlier is better to avoid severity later.
Non-surgical treatment option for trigger finger includes the following interventions:
- Trigger Finger Wand is one of the best non-surgical treatment options available that uses Far Infrared and Ultrasonic Technology to treat the condition. In addition, this wand comes with Tigger finger jelly that helps with the deep penetration of these ultrasound waves. After a 15-minute massage session, wear the trigger finger tape to restrict unnecessary movement and allow the finger to rest in a straightened position.
- Therapeutic Water Soaks by Zeta. Zeta’s Hot Water Soak offers a calming sensation and helps control your Trigger Finger’s symptoms, whereas the cold-water soak is a powerful treatment for reducing inflammation.
- Changes in lifestyles eliminate or minimize daily activities or thumb/finger movements that can further worsen the condition.
- Wear Trigger Finger Tape over the affected finger when using your hands to do daily activities to support and facilitate the rest of the finger. Resting help reduce inflammation and its related symptoms.
- Exercises for trigger finger include reaching a suitable range of motion training program and hand stretching exercises that help reduce finger stiffness while preventing the worsening of trigger finger symptoms.
Here are a few simple exercises that can be performed anywhere.
Finger extensor stretch
- Put your hand on a flat surface.
- Hold the affected finger with your other hand.
- Lift a finger slowly while keeping the rest of your fingers flat.
- Stretch the finger as up as it goes without straining.
- Hold for a few seconds and release.
- Do 1 set of 5 repetitions.
- Repeat 3 times a day.
Finger abduction
- Place your hand in front.
- Spread both the affected and normal finger next to it.
- Use the other hand’s thumb and index finger to press the extended fingers together.
- Use the index finger and thumb to resist the two fingers as you separate them.
- Hold for a few seconds, and return to the starting position.
- Repeat three times throughout the day.
Finger abduction
- Move the affected finger away from your nearest normal finger to form a V position.
- Use the thumb and index finger from the other hand to press these two fingers against each other.
- Press two fingers to move them closer.
- Repeat three times throughout the day.
Finger Spread
- Start by pinching the ends of the fingers.
- Put an elastic band on the fingers.
- Move the fingers away from the thumb, so the band gets tight.
- Extend the thumb and fingers away and then bring them close to each other.
- You can feel the slight tension of the elastic while doing this.
- Then bend your thumb and fingers towards the palm.
- Attach the elastic band in the middle.
- With the other hand, pull the end of the band to make slight tension.
- Maintain the tension as you bend and straighten your fingers ten times.
- Repeat at least three times a day.
Palm presses
- Take a soft ball and squeeze it tightly for a few seconds.
- Then liberate by widening your fingers.
- Repeat a few times.
- Do it two more times a day using different objects.
Remember self-massage!
Practice self-massage to enhance the effects of above mentioned non-surgical treatments. This is done for a few minutes throughout the day.
Self-massage is beneficial for massaging the affected thumb or finger before and after these exercises.
Fifteen minutes of regular massage with a Trigger Finger Wand helps increase flexibility, circulation, and range of motion.
You can also massage your entire forearm, hand, and wrist with a natural oil like olive oil, as these areas are connected. Again, you can choose which method makes you feel best and achieves the best results.