On this blog post we will be answering common questions about the condition known as Trigger Finger and what the treatment entails. Trigger Finger is a condition that causes your finger to get stuck in a bent position. It may straighten up with a click or snap or you may need to use your other hand to straighten it up. Trigger Finger can affect any of your fingers or even your thumbs!
What Causes Your Fingers to Get Stuck?
Your fingers get stuck because the tendon which is like a string attached to your bones which produces the motion of your fingers gets inflamed or swollen causing a bump on the tendon not allowing it to glide smoothly. Trigger Finger can also happen when the tissue around the tendon on the palm of your hand is inflamed and does not allow the tendon to glide smoothly.
What Are The Causes For Trigger Finger?
There are various reasons that someone can get Trigger Finger. Some of them are through repetitive motion, for example someone who works at a restaurant that has to clean tables using a spray bottle with a trigger and is constantly squeezing the spray bottle’s trigger. Also someone like a cleaning lady who has to repetitively wring a mop or a sponge.
Trigger Finger may also develop due to hormonal reasons like when a woman enters menopause or a person develops other medical conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis. Trigger finger is most common in women over the age of 50 but it can happen to anyone at any age, but it is the most rare in children.
How Do You Know You Have Trigger Finger?
You can take an educated guess that you might have Trigger Finger if you suffer from the following symptoms. Finger stiffness or finger swelling. Popping or clicking of your fingers when you bend or you straighten your fingers. Tenderness, usually at the base of your fingers or thumb. Finger catching or locking when bending on straightening your fingers and pain.
How Can Occupational Therapy Help Your Trigger Finger?
Occupational Therapy can treat your Trigger Finger by making a custom splint or orthosis for the affected finger or thumb. An occupational therapist can also provide an exercise plan that is customized to your needs. Also, can educate you on activity modification and application of modalities such as ice and teaching you new resting positions to help prevent your finger from triggering just to name a few.
I hope you have found this information helpful. If you’d like treatment or more information, feel free to Contact Us. We have our medical clinic in Parsippany New Jersey. Also you can view a video version of this blog post below.