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Précis-Jeune
Plastic and 
Reconstructive Surgery
Or Call 07525 331044

Trigger Finger

Key Points: Trigger Finger Treatments

Type of Anaesthetic: 
Local/General

Length of Procedure: 
around 30 mins

Nights in Hospital:
0-1 nights

Recovery:
Time off Work: 0-2 weeks
Back to Normal: around 3 weeks

Trigger Finger generally results from inflammation within a tendon sheath, restricting tendon motion. A bump (nodule) also may form.

Signs & Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of trigger finger may progress from mild to severe and include:
  • Finger stiffness, particularly in the morning
  • A popping or clicking sensation as you move your finger
  • Tenderness or a bump (nodule) in the palm at the base of the affected finger
  • Finger catching or locking in a bent position, which suddenly pops straight
  • Finger locked in a bent position, which you are unable to straighten

Trigger Finger more commonly affects your thumb or your middle or ring finger. More than one finger may be affected at a time, and both hands might be involved. Triggering is usually more pronounced in the morning, while firmly grasping an object or when straightening your finger.

What Treatments are available?
Trigger Finger treatment varies depending on its severity and duration.
Medications:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs — such as ibuprofen — may relieve the pain but are unlikely to relieve the swelling constricting the tendon sheath or trapping the tendon.

Conservative noninvasive treatments may include:
  • Rest. For at least three to four weeks, avoid activities that require repetitive gripping, repeated grasping or the prolonged use of vibrating hand-held machinery.
  • Ice or heat. Some people experience improvement by icing the palm several times a day. Others see more benefit with warm-water soaks, particularly first thing in the morning.
  • A splint. You may have to wear a splint at night to keep the affected finger in an extended position for up to six weeks. The splint helps rest the tendon. Splinting also helps prevent you from curling your fingers into a fist while sleeping, which can make it painful to move your fingers in the morning.
  • Stretching exercises. Gentle exercises can to help maintain mobility in your finger.

Surgical and Invasive Procedures:
If your symptoms are severe or if conservative treatments haven't helped, you may benefit from:
  • Steroid injection. An injection of a steroid medication near or into the tendon sheath may reduce inflammation and allow the tendon to glide freely again. This is the most common treatment, and in people who do not have diabetes, it is effective in up to 90 percent of patients. In people with diabetes, it is effective about half the time. Sometimes to obtain these results, a second injection is needed.
  • Percutaneous release. After numbing your palm, your doctor inserts a sturdy needle into the tissue around your affected tendon. Moving the needle and your finger helps break apart the constriction that's blocking the smooth motion of the tendon. This treatment may be done under ultrasound control, so the doctor can see where the tip of the needle is under the skin to be sure it opens the tendon sheath without damaging the tendon or nearby nerves. This procedure is usually done in the outpatient clinic or in theatre.
  • Surgery. Working through a small incision near the base of your affected finger, a surgeon can cut open the constricted section of tendon sheath. This procedure is usually done in an operating room.
If you experience any symptoms that you are concerned about please don't hesitate to Contact Us
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