Non-surgical Rest — a referral to an occupational hand therapist for a splint to be made. The splint will initially be kept on for three weeks. Medication — a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory suggested by your doctor or pharmacist can be used to relieve the pain. Check with your doctor first to ensure you are able to take these.
Injections — a corticosteroid injection into the tendon sheath can be administered. This is not guaranteed to be effective and if two injections do not help, then surgery will be recommended. Surgical Surgical treatment is a day-only procedure and is conducted using a local anaesthetic.
This could be due to incomplete excision of the tendon sheath Bow stringing of the sheath due to the tendon sheath being too slack Infection Nerve injury Regional pain syndrome Complex regional pain syndrome Painful scar Stiffness in the affected finger Recurrence.
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For further translated health information, you can visit healthtranslations. Share this page. Was this information helpful? No Yes. Comment optional. Enter security code:. Your name:. Please contact me optional. Friend's name:. Friend's Email:. Security code:. Conservative treatments include: Rest. Decrease or avoid any forceful or excessive hand use activities until your symptoms improve.
If you are unable to avoid these activities altogether, try to minimize them and take breaks. Stretching exercises. Gentle trigger finger exercises to help maintain mobility in your finger may be prescribed by your doctor. These may also include tendon gliding exercises.
Often these are performed under the guidance of a hand therapist. Rarely, your doctor may suggest that you to wear a splint at night to keep the affected finger in an extended position for up to six weeks. The splint can help rest the tendon. Steroid injection. The most common treatment for trigger finger is a corticosteroid injection cortisone into the affected area. An injection is made near or into the tendon sheath to reduce inflammation, allowing the tendon to glide freely again.
Steroid treatment may take a day to a few weeks to take full effect and is sometimes effective for a year or longer, possibly even completely curative. However, sometimes full relief requires two injections. Steroid injections are less effective in diabetic patients and can cause a temporary increase in blood sugar levels for a few days. Trigger Finger Release Surgery For trigger fingers that have not been cured with non-surgical treatments, trigger finger release surgery is recommended.
Sometimes, trigger finger gets better without treatment, so your GP may recommend avoiding activities that cause the pain to see if this helps relieve your symptoms. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs , such as ibuprofen , may also be helpful in relieving any pain.
Strapping your affected finger or thumb to a plastic splint can ease your symptoms by stopping your finger moving. If your finger is particularly stiff in the morning, it may help to use a splint overnight. Your GP can advise you about how long you need to wear the splint for.
Using a splint can be helpful for some people, but it's generally less effective than the treatments described below, particularly in the long-term.
Corticosteroids are medicines that can be used to reduce swelling. In cases of trigger finger, liquid corticosteroids are injected into the tendon sheath the membrane that the tendon slides through , at the base of the affected finger or thumb.
Corticosteroids are thought to work by reducing swelling of the tendon, allowing the tendon to move freely again. This can sometimes happen within a few days of having the injection, but it usually takes a few weeks. However, they're generally less effective in people with certain underlying health conditions, such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.
A corticosteroid injection can permanently improve trigger finger but, in some cases, the problem can return after treatment. You can have a second injection if the effect wears off, but it's often less effective than the first injection.
The risks of corticosteroid injections for trigger finger are small. Very occasionally, it causes some thinning or colour change in the skin at the site of injection. There's also a very small risk of infection. Surgery may be recommended if the above treatments do not work or are unsuitable. The surgeon will cut through the affected section of the tendon sheath so that your tendon can move freely again.
Whether surgery is recommended will depend on considerations such as the amount of pain you're in, whether it's associated with other medical problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis, and how much it's affecting your life. In most cases, trigger finger is a nuisance rather than a serious condition. However, if it is not treated, the affected finger or thumb may become permanently stuck in a bent position or, less commonly, in a straightened position.
This can make carrying out everyday tasks difficult. Surgery for trigger finger is effective and it's rare for the problem to return in the treated finger or thumb. However, you may need to take some time off work and there's a risk of complications see below.
The operation takes around 20 minutes, and you will not need to stay in hospital overnight. The procedure is usually carried out under local anaesthetic , so you'll be awake but unable to feel any pain in your hand. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, these types of surgery may not be recommended because they can cause your finger to drift sideways.
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