DEAR DR. GOTT:
I get trigger finger. This is the third one I have gotten in the last two years. A cortisone shot does nothing and surgery is the only thing that has helped me. The episodes are very painful and I want to know if there is anything to prevent them from happening again.
DEAR READER:
Sadly, you are probably a pro when it comes to recognizing the symptoms of a trigger finger. However, I will bring my reading audience up to speed before I answer your question.
Trigger finger is a condition in which any finger joint catches in a bent position (partial dislocation). An individual might be able to straighten the finger with a gun’s trigger-like motion and snap it back into proper position; thus the name. More severe cases might lock the bent finger and an individual will be unable to straighten it. More than one finger can be affected at the same time and both hands can become involved.
Common causes are repetitive motion of the fingers of the dominant hand that occur at work, during sports, or with some hobbies.
While I cannot state you won’t have additional symptoms, there are several steps you can take toward that hopeful goal. Soak your hand or hands in warm water. Stretch the fingers of one hand and massage the palm and each digit with your opposite hand. Repeat the same process with the opposite hand. While you sit in front of the television in the evening, apply gentle massage to each hand for several minutes.
Avoid repetitive gripping whenever possible. If necessary, break up the routine with different hand exercises between the repetitions and take periodic rest periods.
Use over-the-counter drugs such as Advil, Aleve, or Motrin for minor pain symptoms.
If more severe problems occur, seek the services of your physician. You are no stranger to steroids such as cortisone injections, but apparently they don’t provide relief, so let’s bypass that option.
Trigger finger release can be performed under local anesthesia. I don’t know if you have had this performed, but you might choose to speak with your physician about the possibility.
A final resort is surgery under anesthesia for tendon release, a procedure you have apparently already undergone.
I urge you to get into a stretching exercise routine as a preventive measure. Start gently and work slowly.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Managing Chronic Pain”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
