Trigger Finger

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

• Trigger finger is also called stenosing tenosynovitis. Trigger finger happens when the covering of the tendon in your finger gets thick. A tendon is tissue that attaches the muscle to the bone. As you bend and straighten your finger, the tendon slides back and forth through its covering. When the tendon's covering grows too thick, it becomes harder for the tendon to move. You may have trigger finger in one or more of your fingers, or your thumb.
  
  
• Playing instruments, such as the piano or guitar, or lifting objects using your fingers increases the risk of getting trigger finger. Your finger may be painful and swollen, and it may be hard to bend and straighten. Your finger may make a clicking or popping noise when you bend it. Trigger finger may go away without treatment. If you need treatment, you may need one or more steroid injections (shots), or a procedure called tendon release. With time or treatment, the symptoms of trigger finger, including pain and swelling, may decrease or go away.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Keep a current list of your medicines:

Include the amounts, and when, how, and why you take them. Take the list or the pill bottles to follow-up visits. Carry your medicine list with you in case of an emergency. Throw away old medicine lists. Use vitamins, herbs, or food supplements only as directed.

Take your medicine as directed:

Call your primary healthcare provider if you think your medicine is not working as expected. Tell him about any medicine allergies, and if you want to quit taking or change your medicine.

Pain medicine:

You may need medicine to take away or decrease pain.

• Learn how to take your medicine. Ask what medicine and how much you should take. Be sure you know how, when, and how often to take it.
  
  
• Do not wait until the pain is severe before you take your medicine. Tell caregivers if your pain does not decrease.
  
  
• Pain medicine can make you dizzy or sleepy. Prevent falls by calling someone when you get out of bed or if you need help.

Ask for information about where and when to go for follow-up visits:

For continuing care, treatments, or home services, ask for more information.

Physical therapy:

You may need to go to physical therapy (PT). The physical therapist may give you exercises to help you bend and straighten your finger better.

Splinting:

Wearing a splint on your finger holds your finger in one position, and stops it from bending. You may need to wear a splint for about six weeks. If you need a splint, ask your caregiver when and how long to wear it.

Wound care:

If you had tendon release surgery, follow your caregiver's instructions about how to care for the wound. Ask caregivers when and how often to change the bandage.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• The pain or swelling in your finger gets worse.
  
  
• You have more trouble moving your finger.
  
  
• Your finger feels like it is tingling.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You cannot move your finger.
  
  
• You lose feeling in your finger.
  
  
• After having tendon release surgery, the wound from surgery looks red and swollen, or you have a fever (high body temperature).

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Learn more about Trigger Finger (Aftercare Instructions)