Trigger finger

[MagicFirefly]

Pretty sure I have trigger finger on my right hand. It's a bit uncomfortable and is always worse in the mornings, sometimes I have to straighten my finger and it clicks back in. It's getting harder to write notes which I need to do for my uni work
I know that trigger finger is more common for people with diabetes. Anyone got as rough idea how long it can last, assuming it will self resolve (all hopes!) I can't be doing with waiting for more cortisone injections, or worse surgery.

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Hello there. Yes I had trigger finger about five / six years ago. Second to last finger on my left hand. It got to the point where like you I had to physically straighten the finger as it locked. Also like you Firefly it was always worse first thing in the morning.

Its actually called Dupuytrens Contracture. Bill Nigh Actor has it in his right hand really bad. It is progressive.

It got worse for me over time and I ended up having to have a cortisone injection. Almost within a day of having the jab the finger was fully mobile again. Though the injection was painful.

As far as I know it doesn't get better better of its own accord. I have the ropey cords under the skin beneath the fingers on the palm side of both hands so am just waiting for it to start up again at some point though so far so good.

It's nothing major to worry about but unless you seek a cortisone jab it will normally just progress.

 

[Fruitella]

Hi. I have the same on left thumb. I am left handed and it may have started after sawing tree branches! 4 months on I think I have left it to late for a jab to fix it. I am seeing hosp dr in a few weeks for assessment for the minor op. It actually clicks less now that I think means it is worse if that makes sense.

 

[Robbity]

I'm left handed too and (before i was diabetic) I had a trigger thumb, my GP could feel a little nodule(???) at the base which he pricked with a needle - not an injection!! - but it fixed it.. More recently and since I've been diabetic I had a trigger finger on my right hand which my same GP was initially dismissive of, as it wasn't too bad! That became progressively worse over several months to the point where it was curled right up, quite painful and impossible to straighten. That did need a corticosteroid injection which cured it almost immediately. Be aware that such injecions will usually have an effect on glucose levels - mine shot up almost immediately and was higher for several days. If you search the forum you'll find other threads about this rise happening.

Robbity

PS I originally wondered whether it may have been an inherited issue as my father used to have a "clicky" thumb in his old age, but this as far as I can remember never actually stayed locked, and I don't know if he ever had anything done about it but I may be wrong as he lived several hundred miles away so we didn't see him too often...

 

[MagicFirefly]

Hello there. Yes I had trigger finger about five / six years ago. Second to last finger on my left hand. It got to the point where like you I had to physically straighten the finger as it locked. Also like you Firefly it was always worse first thing in the morning.

Its actually called Dupuytrens Contracture. Bill Nigh Actor has it in his right hand really bad. It is progressive.

It got worse for me over time and I ended up having to have a cortisone injection. Almost within a day of having the jab the finger was fully mobile again. Though the injection was painful.

As far as I know it doesn't get better better of its own accord. I have the ropey cords under the skin beneath the fingers on the palm side of both hands so am just waiting for it to start up again at some point though so far so good.

It's nothing major to worry about but unless you seek a cortisone jab it will normally just progress.

Trigger finger is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. It occurs if there's a problem with the tendon or sheath, such as inflammation and swelling. Dupuytren's contracture happens when the tissue under the skin near your fingers becomes thicker and less flexible. Visibly similar but different things.

 

[donnac1968]

Dupuytrens is a different thing to trigger finger. I’ve had 2 fingers released by surgery while they did my carpal tunnel on that hand at the same time!

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Trigger finger is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. It occurs if there's a problem with the tendon or sheath, such as inflammation and swelling. Dupuytren's contracture happens when the tissue under the skin near your fingers becomes thicker and less flexible. Visibly similar but different things.

Thank you. All this time I had that wrong

 

[MagicFirefly]

Thank you. All this time I had that wrong

To be fair, they're both symptomatically very similar. I'm a student nurse and I've seen the surgery done for
Dupuytren's contracture. It was extremely interesting!
I hope I didn't offend. It was unintended!

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

To be fair, they're both symptomatically very similar. I'm a student nurse and I've seen the surgery done for
Dupuytren's contracture. It was extremely interesting!
I hope I didn't offend. It was unintended!

Nope not at all. When I had my treatment it was firstly a local anesthetic in the thickened part of the skin below the finger (looked like a letter V) I still have them on both palms. The local was more painful than the steroid injection which I thought pointless really (I mean the local)

When it was looked at by GP before my referral he said it was Trigger Finger and then gave me a print out which was headed Dupuytrens Contracture.. Hence probably why my confusion..

But thanks I know now..

 

[MagicFirefly]

Nope not at all. When I had my treatment it was firstly a local anesthetic in the thickened part of the skin below the finger (looked like a letter V) I still have them on both palms. The local was more painful than the steroid injection which I thought pointless really (I mean the local)

When it was looked at by GP before my referral he said it was Trigger Finger and then gave me a print out which was headed Dupuytrens Contracture.. Hence probably why my confusion..

But thanks I know now..

Bloody GP's haha

By the sounds of it, the treatment is more or less the same also. The injections don't both me so much, I had cortisone injections guided by ultrasound in my shoulder a few years ago (awaiting more ) so I know what you mean about the local stinging more.
I think I'm more bothered that if I have surgery, it will mean time out from uni etc and it's such an intense course I don't think I can afford the time! Fingers crossed (and not triggered! - doh!) it won't come to that... But the fact you're getting a good 5-6 years relief from treatment gives me hope!

 

[kevinfitzgerald]

Bloody GP's haha

By the sounds of it, the treatment is more or less the same also. The injections don't both me so much, I had cortisone injections guided by ultrasound in my shoulder a few years ago (awaiting more ) so I know what you mean about the local stinging more.
I think I'm more bothered that if I have surgery, it will mean time out from uni etc and it's such an intense course I don't think I can afford the time! Fingers crossed (and not triggered! - doh!) it won't come to that... But the fact you're getting a good 5-6 years relief from treatment gives me hope!

Absolutely. I have had no issues at all since my treatment, though I wont cross my fingers as knowing me I wont be able to uncross them!..

Yep it's worrying when we know more than our GP.. Though mine is pretty good..

I'll ask you first before seeing him though next time.. Ha....

 

[erika40long]

Pretty sure I have trigger finger on my right hand. It's a bit uncomfortable and is always worse in the mornings, sometimes I have to straighten my finger and it clicks back in. It's getting harder to write notes which I need to do for my uni work
I know that trigger finger is more common for people with diabetes. Anyone got as rough idea how long it can last, assuming it will self resolve (all hopes!) I can't be doing with waiting for more cortisone injections, or worse surgery.

 

[Squidzy]

I have experienced DC in both hands. In 2004 I had a release surgery in my non-dominant right hand
In 2014 I had my first xyaflex injection treatment which made things very bad by the end of that year
I had a surgery by the end of the year. 14 months later I had a second surgery. This past spring I had a third surgery on my dominant hand. This time they removed my PIP joint on my middle and ring fingers. Right hand is good however my middle finger has trigger and it has been that way for over two years. Been dealing with bigger issues on the opposite hand so I never had time to deal much with it. Bad in the morning yes. Get some aching pain as well. Have been dealing with cortisone shots every 4-5 months

 

[kitedoc]

Hi @MagicFirefly,
I have suffered with several trigger fingers. Yes, they are painful on pressure over the nodule and when the tendon swelling 'clicks through' the tissue pulley that the tendon runs through.
Working in a health-related field back then, I had the distinct discomfort of having the trigger finger catching my finger closed when pumping up a syphgnomanometer bulb.
The only treatment that worked for me was surgery, to remove the tissue pulley where the nodule was getting stuck. I was 'out of action' for 14 days or so, allowing 10 days before sutures were removed.
I hope that, if surgery seems the only definitive option for you that it could be arranged during University holidays.
Best Wishes.

 

[Fruitella]

Hi @MagicFirefly,
I have suffered with several trigger fingers. Yes, they are painful on pressure over the nodule and when the tendon swelling 'clicks through' the tissue pulley that the tendon runs through.
Working in a health-related field back then, I had the distinct discomfort of having the trigger finger catching my finger closed when pumping up a syphgnomanometer bulb.
The only treatment that worked for me was surgery, to remove the tissue pulley where the nodule was getting stuck. I was 'out of action' for 14 days or so, allowing 10 days before sutures were removed.
I hope that, if surgery seems the only definitive option for you that it could be arranged during University holidays.
Best Wishes.

I had the steroid injection 6 weeks ago at a NHS clinic just 2 weeks after seeing GP. Very impressed with the results. Ever so slightly clicky still so will be having a 2nd injection but to be honest I think it would be fine without it. Something that has helped to stretch and exercise it has been using the Sandbox colouring game on my phone and kindle. The upward flicky movement has freed it up nicely.