What Causes Trigger Finger?
Trigger finger can affect any digit, and the condition can be congenital or idiopathic—meaning you can have trigger finger from birth, or develop it over time. Babies and small children are affected by trigger finger when their tendon sheath fails to develop fully. If the sheath doesn’t grow at the same speed as the tendon, it can cause the fingers to freeze. And, usually, it’s the thumb that is affected.
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Idiopathic trigger finger is caused by friction. “The pressure that’s applied to your palm with a normal grasp will start to build up a thickening of a normal membrane, which is called the flexor sheath,” says Melvin Rosenwasser, MD, Robert E. Carroll professor of hand surgery, Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, director of the hand fellowship.
People over the age of 40 are the key demographic affected by trigger finger. “You can see it more commonly in people who use their hands for heavy use,” says Dori Neill Cage, MD, who serves on the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons National Board of Counselors. The risk for developing trigger finger seems to be higher if your job or pastime involves tasks with repetitive and strong grasping motion. And due to fluid retention and preexisting swelling, people with diabetes, gout, and hypothyroidism are also at a higher risk of developing trigger finger, says Cage.
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Use of your smartphone or computer, however, is not a factor in developing the condition. “There seems to be a common perception that the prolonged use of a computer keyboard or other electronic devices leads to trigger fingers, but this is not supported by good research,” says Yang. We may be using electronics more, but there hasn’t been a corresponding increase in cases of trigger finger.
And while multiple digits can be affected by trigger finger, the disease does not spread from one finger to another, says Cage. Most likely, your repetitive actions are simply causing friction in several of your digits.
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Treatment Options
Trigger finger is diagnosed with a relatively simple hand examination—no X-rays or lab tests are required. If it’s caught early enough, patients can splint the affected finger, which minimizes the friction to the tendon sheath.
The longer a finger is stuck in the trigger position, the more aggressive treatment options become. If the joints are compromised from being in a locked position, the condition worsens. That’s why, if the joint itself is affected, the digit will be unable to fully spring back, says Rosenwasser. In many cases, a cortisone shot is administered to the tendon sheath to lessen the swelling. This shot can be repeated up to three times, and with a 70-80% success rate, it’s one of the most common options, Yang says.
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“If cortisone shots fail or only have transient benefits, then the curative treatment is an operation which opens up the sheath,” says Rosenwasser. The surgery is performed under local anesthetic and can provide immediate pain relief.
Can You Prevent Trigger Finger?
Not exactly. It’s not as though you can avoid using your hands altogether, and osteopathic surgeons agree that some people may be prone to trigger finger due to their own body mechanics. “It’s not a medical condition that exercise, diet, or oral medication can affect,” says Cage. However, trigger finger is easily treated, and many individual do find a cure with medical care.
The article The Bizarre Condition That Could Be Making Your Finger Lock Up originally appeared on Prevention.