Trigger finger

bluestar

Active Member
Messages
36
I've had a symptom called the trigger finger (on my right thumb)for the last 6 months. The doctor told me that it is quite commoon for people with diabetes. I had a steroid injection on the finger , they said it usually cures/solves the problem. But unfortunately the problem has come back. I have beed refered to see a hand specialist , hopefully this will help - they said I might need minor surgery to remove the swollen lump on the finger.

Does any one know of this condition, or have any suggestions? I'm finding it painful to make full use of my right hand. :?
 

Grazer

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,115
I've had it on a finger on my left hand for 18 months now. Had 2 lots of steroid jabs. Each time, it improved slowly then slowly got worse again. Supposed to have an op now to free the tendon, but might leave it till end of the year as it will muck up my golf! Did have it on a number of fingers, but they all responded to the jabs and stayed fixed apart from this one.
 

dawnmc

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
I have it too in both hands, but more painful on my right hand, off to the Gp tomorrow to see what else the can do. Had physio and a hand splint made (seriously you cant sleep in those) to no avail. So will see what else is on offer.
 

pickle76

Well-Known Member
Messages
118
I had it in both thumbs a few years ago and after steroid injections they've been fine ever since. However I now have it in 5 other fingers and although the injections relieve it for while, it keeps coming back. My GP thinks I should now have the op to try and fix it for good as there are only so many times you should have the injections in each finger. I have found that holding a heat pack/warm bean bag helps if I'm at home and not having to do much, and they're definitely worse when my hands are cold.

Hope you get some relief - it's a horrible thing!
 

Pickwick

Member
Messages
21
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Doctors who tell me how I feel rather than ask. Hospitals where clericals outnumber medical staff. Actually - hospitals in general - I stay out of them.
I've had it (3 fingers of one hand and the thumb of the other) for ages - supremely painful, but at least it takes my mind off other complaints! :eek:) Murder first thing of a morning.

Those who have had at least some kind of treatment should count themselve lucky. All I get from my GP is ums and ahs and promises of stuff that never materialises - but then that's his response to most things. Took me almost 2 years to get my first diabetic eye test and I these days seem to get a diabetic checkup only when I bang on his desk - about 8 months since the last one. I get very little from him or the local NHS without a fight. But given the shocking reputation of my local general hospital for MRSA and other infections I'm not keen on surgery anyway.
 

Ceedee

Newbie
Messages
1
I had trigger finger diagnosed several years ago after the middle finger on my right hand kept locking. I had a small operation under local anaesthetic at Dumfries Infirmary in which the surgeon made a small incision in the palm of my hand to allow him, I believe, to scrape the tendon to enable it to move smoothly in the sheath. After a week or so my hand was back to normal with no recurrence of the problem. However, I am now beginning to have symptoms for the same problem on the same finger of my left hand and, until now, I was unaware that this may be linked to my diabetes. On a separate subject, I have also signed up to the mydiabetesmyway online service in which I can see at a glance all my test records going back many years including blood pressure, blood and urine analyses, weight, as well as eye and podiatry reports. The graphs provide a quick view of how things are going. I would urge everyone in Scotland to sign up and, though it takes several weeks to set up, it is certainly well worth the wait. Only issue with the site is that it is a bit clunky and not too user-friendly with a lot of techy jargon.
 

paulhilling

Newbie
Messages
1
Hi Blue star,
I have had it twice, once on the left hand thumb, and in the right hand, little finger, both relieved with injections, and the thumb was about 4-5 years ago, but be aware, it hurts, not for long, and the bruising can be nasty for about three days.
hope you get yours sorted out
Paul :D
 

dawnmc

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,431
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Well my Gp is referring me to a hand clinic at Northern General, might be a wait but at least I may get some decent info.
 

Teeney

Newbie
Messages
1
Good Luck Dawnmc!

I have suffered from trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome since I was 21 (I am 38 now). So far, I have had 2 carpal Tunnnel operations under local anasthetic (1997, 1998), my left thumb trigger released, then re-released as they sewed the nerves from my wrist into the scar tissue (2003), my middle finger on my right hand released (2004), my right thumb right index finger and middle and ring fingers on my left hand released (2010).

Now my index finger on my left hand and ring finger on my right are playing up! I have been to my GP on several occasions and they just told me to take painkillers! When I finally lost my temper and said that I could not open jars, or even packets with my hands as they are, they finally agreed to send me to see a specialsit...I'm still waiting. I have been told by a different GP that maybe all the scarring from thew previous surgeries has affeccted the remaining fingers, I disagree, I think that it is still triger finger, as it feels the same as all the previous ones.

No matter, everything that seems to "go wrong" with me is blamed on my diabetes. I was diagnosed as T1 in 1983 when I was 10 and then in 2003 when I moved house and was seen by a different hospital, they did tests and found that I was a severly insulin restistance T2! My pancreas was working perfectly and I had twice the normal amount of insulin floating around in me!!!! I'd been on insulin for 20 years by then, no wonder my weight was going up! I was told they couldn't take me off the injections as my body would go into shock, having been using synthetic insulin for so long alongside my natural stuff... So, now I am stuck. Insulin dependant, lots of complications and hand troubles....Anything else to go wrong I wonder??????
 

sillynanny49

Newbie
Messages
4
I had this in one finger on my left hand for years, then it developed in my right hand to such an extent that I was referred to the hospital last June. I had an injection in each hand and it got better. But it did not last that long and I go back tomorrow to see what will happen next. (They did say that it would probably mean an operation.) The trouble is that my right knee is giving up due to osteoarthritis and I'm having to walk with a stick. Which of course does not help my hands!! I have been diagnosed as t2 for many years (can't remember how many but certainly pre 1999) and did not realise trigger finger was caused by diabetes. My Dad had one and so has one of my sisters. I've learned more on this site than I was told in all those years.
 

bluestar

Active Member
Messages
36
Thanks everyone for the responces. Quite helpful. Can someone let me know how long it takes for the finger to heal after the operation. Dont know how I will be able to cope if the specialist recomends the operation. Kids are relying on me, someone needs to cook, house work etc. Will I be able to do normal duties? :?
 

cteld

Active Member
Messages
30
For what it's worth, I'm a huge lover of trigger point therapy for pain (including tendon pain). Has anyone tried it? From the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook by Clair Davies, flexor digitorum trigger points may be implicated. You can try this right now in front of your computer.

"The condition known as 'trigger finger,' where a finger becomes locked in the flexed position, can sometimes be helped by deep massage to a tender spot on the palm side of the knuckle where the finger joins the hand."

Also feel about midway between the wrist and elbow on the inner arm for a couple of tender spots that cause sharp pain or referred pain to the fingers, and massage them.

When massaging these 3 points, the technique you use is very specific: Find the tender spot, dig in to the spot and rub with a stroking motion once about an inch, then lift up and return to original spot and repeat 6-12 times, all fairly slowly and in the same direction. If this massage immediately helps at all, that's a good sign that trigger point therapy will help. If it doesn't, it may or may not help. Repeat 6 times spaced throughout the day, for a few days or until pain goes away.
 

cteld

Active Member
Messages
30
Oops, I missed that it was your thumb. That might be the flexor pollicis longus. Davies says that trigger points in this muscle "can cause the last thumb joint to lock...Locate the belly of the flexor pollicis longus about a third of the way up from the wrist on the radial side (thumb side) of the inner forearm. Feel the muscle contract when you make a hard fist, pressing strongly with your thumb against the middle finger." (p. 125)

After you've identified the muscle, search for the tender spot along it and then try massage as I wrote above.

Would really like to know if this helps anyone. I'm becoming very evangelical about trigger point therapy these days, 'cause it's helped me and my family so much!
 

Liam1955

Master
Messages
10,964
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Anti-Gay People, Self Centre People, Two Faced People and Bad Language.
I have suffered with Trigger Finger (left hand ring finger) three times so far this year, each time my GP has injected a Steriod in my palm and he straightened it - but each time it is harder to straighten.
I was referred in April to Orthopaedic Specialist and he tells me Surgery is the best option.
He also says I have an "acute" Carpal Tunnel in the same hand, he performed tests to confirm this.
I am due to go back and see him in late August and will see what happens then.
 

Fruitella

Well-Known Member
Messages
304
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
I have suffered with Trigger Finger (left hand ring finger) three times so far this year, each time my GP has injected a Steriod in my palm and he straightened it - but each time it is harder to straighten.
I was referred in April to Orthopaedic Specialist and he tells me Surgery is the best option.
He also says I have an "acute" Carpal Tunnel in the same hand, he performed tests to confirm this.
I am due to go back and see him in late August and will see what happens then.
Hi, this is an old thread but wanted to say that 3 injections this year sounds a lot. I had one injection done by a hospital dr rather than gp to a thumb and was told not to expect an immediate improvement. It took 3 months to get 90% fixed with lots of bending exercise and probably 5 to get full movement.
 
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