Effective Methods for Diagnosing and Treating Trigger Finger

5. Wear A Splint

For some patients dealing with trigger finger, it may be helpful to wear a splint during the night to keep the affected finger from bending. When individuals sleep, they don't have control over how their fingers move, and they often wake up with increased inflammation and pain. Splinting may also help with long-term recovery, since it allows the finger to spend multiple hours each day avoiding irritation. In one study of trigger finger patients who used a splint program, a year after the treatment eighty-seven percent of them didn't need a surgical intervention or steroid injections. Other studies indicate splinting and steroid injections combined can be more effective than either therapy used alone. One clinical recommendation for how to splint is to splint the least restrictive joint that allows smooth tendon gliding.

6. Percutaneous Release

When trigger finger causes chronic symptoms that don't respond to nonsurgical treatment, doctors may recommend a percutaneous release surgery. In some cases, patients with trigger finger may lose the ability to move their tendons through the sheath entirely, leading to the finger being permanently stuck in a curled position. Surgery frees the constricted sheath of the tendon, which in turn restores free movement to the affected digit. The procedure is done with local anesthesia. It can either be completed through a surgical incision or by piercing the finger with a needle. Regardless of the method, the procedure is considered a mostly low-risk one. With needle procedures, the needle breaks apart the constricted tissue, guided by a real-time ultrasound scan. Since there isn't an incision, stitches aren't necessary. Some professionals prefer open surgery because an incision allows the surgeon to clearly see the affected tissue, but a needle procedure has fewer risks and a shorter recovery time.