Trigger finger limits your hand movements and make it difficult to straighten out your fingers. This painful condition causes your finger to lock or catch when bending. It occurs because the tendons in your fingers has become inflamed. Trigger finger is more common in women and happens between the ages of 40 to 60 years old.

Your tendons play an important role in your hand. They connect your bones and muscles. Your muscles and tendons control how far your fingers straighten and bend.

This condition can be caused by forceful use of the finger, repeated movement, grasping at something for a long time, diabetes, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis. If you are having trouble living a normal life with this condition, then it is time to schedule an appointment with a hand surgery specialist. Read on to find out your treatment options.

Take A Conservative Approach

The main focus of treatment is to reduce swelling and locking. Choosing the right treatment depends on the severity and how long you had the condition. Your doctor may start by recommending rest. During this time of rest, you want to refrain from repetitive gripping, repeated grasping, and from using any vibrating hand-held machinery.

Get Corticosteroid Injections

Corticosteroids are a medication that reduces swelling. This medication is injected in liquid form into the tendon of someone with trigger finger. The injection is given at the base of the inflamed finger.

It works by reducing the swelling of your tendon. Reducing the swelling allows your tendon to move more freely. You will not see immediate results because it takes a few weeks. However, corticosteroid injections are an effective treatment for 50 to 80 percent of people with this condition.

Consider Surgery

If you are not seeing results after taking the non-surgical approach, then you may want to consider surgery. The purpose of surgery is to open the pulley at the base of your finger. The pulley is a band of fibers that hold the tendons to your bones.

Opening the pulley allows your tendons to move freely. After the surgery, you do not have to worry about any more popping and clicking. You will feel some stiffness, but you should be able to make motions with your fingers. Your doctor also may recommend hand therapy so you can regain better use of your hand.

Hands are very important in our everyday activities. If you are having problems, then you need to find a treatment that will allow your fingers to move pain free. Talk to doctors like the Town Center Orthopaedic Associates, P.C. for more information.

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