Trigger Finger: Symptoms & Treatments

Trigger Finger Treatment is a condition that describes the inflammation of tissue inside your finger or thumb. It is also called tenosynovitis (ten-oh-sin-oh-VY-tis).

In medical terms, when the tendon sheath or tunnel of tissue that holds the tendon stable becomes thick, and swollen, it makes it hard to straighten the affected  finger or thumb. The tendons that connect muscles in your forearm to the bones in your fingers,these tendons in each finger are surrounded by a protective tendon sheath. This sheath is lined with synovium, which produces a fluid that allows the tendons to slide easily when you bend and straighten the finger.  If a tendon is irritated, it becomes inflamed. Trigger Finger can also cause popping or locking of your thumb or finger. 

Most trigger finger symptoms get worse over time. Besides your finger locking, you may experience stiffness, a feeling of popping or clicking when the finger moves, and soreness. The condition is usually worse in the morning.

Early Symptoms:

• Numbness, mostly during the night  
• Fingers feel useless or swollen
• A tingling sensation or pain in your fingers 

More Severe Symptoms:

• Daytime Tingling with certain movements –  talking on the phone, daily work activity or driving

• More severe pain – worse at night 
• Gradule loss of movement 

• Hand weakness – difficulty in grasping objects or doing other tasks

The first sign of trigger finger is pain where the finger or thumb joins your palm, this is combined with some swelling. As the tendon becomes inflamed, your finger can start to catch when you try to straighten or bend it. When the locked tendon releases, and your finger jumps, as if you were releasing the trigger of a gun, is why this condition was called “trigger finger”. Also, this further irritates the tendon. Most of the time, this condition becomes progressively worse as the cycle of catching and swelling becomes more frequent.

Trigger finger is also called stenosing tenosynovitis because it is a stenosis (from ancient Greek meaning abnormal narrowing) causing inflammation of the tendon (teno-) and its surrounding synovial tissue (-synovitis).

Trigger finger is a painful condition that causes your finger or thumb  catch or lock when bent.

In the early stages of this condition, you may have minor pain and swelling at the base of your finger and locking may only happen in the morning. Sometimes your finger or thumb can pop out and extend without any pain.

As this condition becomes worse, the catching sensation, locking, popping, and  pain now are constant and it is now more painful to straighten the affected finger or thumb.

Eventually, your finger will become permanently locked or stiff, as you will be unable to fully extend or to flex it without excruciating pain.

Open trigger finger release surgery.

During the surgical procedure, Dr. Pournaras will make a small incision in your palm and open the tendon sheath tunnel in order to release it. He will then carefully cut into the top of the tendon sheath to make it wider. Then he will close the incision with stitches and cover  with a light bandage.

The goal of surgery is to create a wider opening in the sheath so that the tendon can slide through it more easily. This is a minor procedure with light sedation. Patients go home the same day with the ability to use their hands for light activity.