What Does
Trigger Finger Mean?
Trigger finger is a medical condition in which a finger gets locked in a bent position. Typically, the affected finger can only be straightened by being pushed into place, often making a popping sound when it straightens.
While it can happy to any finger, trigger finger is most likely to develop in the thumb and ring finger.
Trigger finger is also known by its clinical name, stenosing tenosynovitis.
Safeopedia Explains Trigger Finger
Although not a serious medical condition, trigger finger can be quite painful.
Severe cases can also impede in everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt, slicing vegetables, or inserting a key into a lock.
How Trigger Finger Develops
Muscles attach to the bones by tendons, each of which is covered by a protective sheath that helps glide and move with ease.
When one of these tendon sheaths becomes swollen and irritated, it can introduce friction. It can also cause the tendon to develop a nodule, which is a lump of tissue that makes it even more difficult for the tendon to move smoothly.
This swelling and friction can prevent the finger from moving as it normally does, resulting in trigger finger.
Risk Factors for Developing Trigger Finger
- Repetitive motion: Activities that involve repetitive motion of the fingers (such as typing or sewing) or prolonged gripping (such as using knives) heighten the risk of developing trigger finger
- Medical conditions: People with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and low thyroid function are also at higher risk
- Age: Trigger finger is most common in women over 50
Symptoms of Trigger Finger
- The finger locking in a bent position
- A popping sound when moving the affected finger
- Pain in the finger or soreness in the palm at the base of the finger
- Swelling in the affected area
The symptoms are typically worse after waking up and become less severe as the fingers are moved and flexed throughout the day.
Treatment for Trigger Finger
Trigger finger is easy to diagnosed and is treatable.
Treatments can include splinting, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), steroid injections, and hand therapy.
If none of these interventions work, surgery may be needed. Physical therapy is recommended after surgery, as stiffness can be an ongoing issue even if the locking itself has been resolved.
Preventing Trigger Finger with Better Ergonomics
While medical treatment can alleviate trigger finger, using tools and equipment with good ergonomic designs can help prevent it from developing in the first place.
One of the most common workplace tools is the computer mouse. An ergonomically designed mouse supports the hand and has light touch buttons that can be pressed with very little physical force. This reduces the need for repetitive motion, as the mouse buttons can be clicked without raising the finger. Because of this, it reduces the risk of trigger finger and alleviate symptoms for those who have it.
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