Treatment Options for Trigger Finger

Trigger finger is a painful condition that causes your fingers or thumb to get stuck in a bent position. This occurs when the pulleys that help bend your fingers become too thick, leading to a locking or catching feeling, as well as pain.

The best practice for treating trigger fingers or thumbs is to start with steroid injections. It is an effective treatment for most patients with this condition. After one or several injections the trigger finger symptoms resolve.

When conservative treatment options are not effective, surgery is an option. For most patients, this can be done in an office-based procedure room with the patient awake. This eliminates the need for anesthesiology and is less costly for the patient.

An orthopedic hand surgeon will numb the hand in the area of the trigger finger or thumb and then move the patient to a procedure room. The incision is made in the palm and is typically an inch long or less. The surgeon will remove the tissue that is causing the finger to catch or lock. After that, the patient will move the finger several times to ensure that the finger is gliding smoothly through the tunnel. The incision is closed with 2-3 stitches in the palm. A soft dressing is then applied and the patient can leave the office.

Recovering from the trigger finger surgery includes range of motion exercises and normal activities of daily living. In 10-14 days the patient returns for a follow-up visit. Nearly all patients get relief from the locking and catching symptoms after surgery. The recurrence rate is very low.