How to Treat Trigger Finger?

Trigger finger is a common name for finger flexion tenosynovitis. It is a relatively common hand disease. It usually occurs in the thumb, middle finger and ring finger, with the thumb being the most common. The most common symptoms of trigger finger are middle-aged women. The most common symptoms are that the fingers cannot be flexed and straightened smoothly. When the fingers exert force, they feel the movement is not smooth and painful. When the tendon and the tendon sheath rub, it will cause pain and elasticity. The sound is called trigger finger or trigger finger.

How are slingshot fingers formed? The bending and straightening of the fingers and the force application require the synergy of the tendon and the tendon sheath. When the finger is flexed and straightened, it is like five trains (that is, the tendon) going back and forth through the tunnel (the tendon sheath). If the tendon becomes inflamed and swollen to form a nodule, Like a train whose size suddenly became too large to pass through the tunnel, it got stuck at the entrance of the tunnel. When a trigger finger strikes, it usually requires the assistance of the other hand to straighten the flexed finger. The trigger finger is caused by repeated flexion and extension of the fingers, repeated movements of the fingers and prolonged load-bearing, and constant friction between tendons and tendon sheaths and local inflammation, resulting in the inability of the fingers to flex and extend smoothly. If the cause of the trigger finger is not treated and the cause of the trigger finger is removed, if the condition continues, it can lead to tissue proliferation, or even swell up and form a nodule, which prevents the finger from fully straightening. Slingshot fingers are mostly found in people aged 40 to 60, manual laborers, and housewives whose fingers are overworked for a long time and frequently bend.

The initial symptoms of trigger finger are mainly manifested in the pain and swelling of the fingers and palm roots in the morning or after labor, with obvious pain when touching, and unable to move the fingers or exert force smoothly. The fingers are sluggish, the fingers remain bent and cannot be straightened, or the other hand is needed to help break them apart. The late symptoms of trigger finger are mainly manifested in the thickened nodules on the thumb or the base of the fingers of the patient, which may cause pain, and cannot smoothly perform actions such as holding a pen to write, twisting a towel or turning a door lock, which seriously affects the quality of life. Whenever the fingers are stretched and flexed, they will feel resistance or stuck, and when the fingers are stretched, they will snap and need the help of the other hand to straighten them. The severity of the trigger finger can be divided into four stages. The doctor will make a diagnosis based on the patient's medical record and clinical examination. Generally, X-ray examination is not required. Patients with trigger finger need a lot of force to straighten their fingers, because the swollen and inflamed tendon needs to be pulled back into the tendon sheath, which is usually used as a benchmark for clinical examination.

How to treat slingshot finger?

1. If the affected area is not inflamed, warm compresses can be applied to relieve the condition. Soak your hands in warm water or apply a warm towel in the morning and evening to increase blood circulation in your hands, soothe stiff and slightly inflamed muscles.

2. Let the hand get enough rest, and physical therapy can relieve and improve the symptoms, but if you continue to maintain repetitive finger movements and weight-bearing, the trigger finger will easily recur and worsen without adequate rest.

3. When the trigger finger is inflamed and painful, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain relievers can be used. If the patient is more seriously ill, local injection of anti-inflammatory steroids can help to quickly reduce inflammation. However, it should be noted that the anti-inflammatory effect of steroids on the affected area may gradually decrease. When the injection of steroids is ineffective, surgery is the only solution.

4. Cold compress, hot compress, ultrasound, acupuncture and shock waves are all methods of treating slingshot finger, which can help relieve pain and improve blood circulation. Physiotherapists also use deep massage techniques around the metacarpophalangeal joints to soften the swollen nodules, which can improve the often stuck fingers. Sometimes the thickening of tendon sheath tissue and the formation of nodules will make the tissue tighter and cause adhesions. Massage and manual therapy can improve the problem, and then use stretching exercises to increase joint mobility and resistance exercises to strengthen muscle strength.

5. In order to let the affected area get enough rest and activate the self-healing ability to reduce inflammation as soon as possible, you can use a wrist brace to help fix the affected area to avoid further degeneration of the tendon sheath due to repetitive movements and friction.

6. When neither physical therapy nor local injection of steroids can improve the condition of the slingshot finger, or the ideal quality of life cannot be achieved, surgery to treat the trigger finger should be considered.

Xiamen Ortosport International Trade Co., Ltd. was founded in 2014 who is a professional manufacturer and exporter for orthopedic & sport products. We produce and sell a variety of wrist braces, which can be used for conservative treatment of trigger fingers and fixed protection during postoperative rehabilitation.