Trigger finger affects the thumb and another finger, causing pain and restricting free finger movement. This causes your finger to become stuck in position, making it difficult to straighten or bend it. So, can trigger finger heal on its own? Well, the condition can get better on its own in mild cases. However, it’s still advisable to consult your doctor to discuss your symptoms and explore treatment options.
What is Trigger Finger?
Trigger finger is also known as stenosing tenosynovitis. It affects one’s thumb and fingers, making the particular digits immobile and stuck in a bent or straightened position.
This condition is caused by the inflammation of the tendons controlling the bending and straightening motions in the fingers. As a result, the membrane sheath over the tendons feels narrower, hindering proper movement when you try to flex or uncurl the affected fingers.
Can Trigger Finger Heal On Its Own?
In mild cases, the condition gets better without medical care. Nevertheless, you should talk to your doctor to prevent lingering complications in the affected hand.
Symptoms Of Trigger Finger
This potentially debilitating condition has various symptoms that can affect your daily activities and work. If left unchecked, the condition progresses from mild to severe, significantly affecting your quality of life. Therefore, you should be able to identify the signs and symptoms to discuss with your doctor.
Signs and symptoms associated with trigger finger include:
- Persistent soreness and pain at the base of your thumb or another finger
- Tenderness around the bottom of the thumb or affected finger
- The finger in question often catches when you try to extend or curl it
- In some instances, the finger audibly pops when you straighten it
- Increased pain in the finger in the morning. Indeed, the pain usually gets better as the day progresses, as you use your finger more actively than during sleep hours.
If you don’t seek treatment from your doctor, your trigger finger worsens. For instance, the pain at the base of the thumb and finger intensifies significantly, making it more difficult to ignore.
In addition, advanced trigger finger can make it challenging to uncurl your finger by just flexing it. Instead, you’ll need to use your other hand to pry the finger loose. The affected finger can become bent permanently in more severe trigger finger cases. Therefore, it’s advisable to seek a qualified hand specialist to halt the condition’s progression.
Treatment Options for Trigger Finger
Severe trigger finger significantly hinders movement in your thumb or finger. As a result, you may have trouble manipulating objects with your fingers. This makes it difficult for you to perform routine activities.
Luckily, there are various options to manage the condition till it heals. These include:
- Set repetitive manual tasks aside to allow the tendon inflammation to subside.
- The doctor can administer corticosteroid injections into the swollen area to reduce inflammation.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen relieve pain and ease swelling.
- Icing your finger also reduces the swelling at the base of the thumb or finger.
- Hand therapy, like finger-stretching exercises, improves your finger’s range of motion.
- The doctor can recommend a splint to immobilise the hand so the finger can rest and heal.
- If medications and home remedies offer unsatisfactory results, your doctor may perform trigger finger surgery under local anaesthesia.
Trigger Finger Treatment At Harley Clinic
Mild trigger finger may heal on its own. However, you should seek medical advice before going it alone, as the condition can worsen if left unchecked.
If you’re struggling with trigger finger, book a consultation with hand specialists at Harley Clinic, London.
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