“I have been diagnosed with trigger finger syndrome. What is the course of treatment for this?”
I have recently been diagnosed with trigger finger syndrome which is causing stiffness in my thumb. What will be the course of treatment for this condition? Will this require surgery?
12 Answers
HandSurgeonTriggerFingerSyndrome
People that have a trigger finger for less than a year will often respond well to an injection and not need surgery. If the symptoms fail to get better with a steroid injection or if it has been going on for more than a year, surgery can be performed.
Don't worry, it can be done through a small incision, with 2 stitches, with minimal down time. Often this can be done under local anesthetic in a procedure room without sedation so you can drive yourself home.
Don't worry, it can be done through a small incision, with 2 stitches, with minimal down time. Often this can be done under local anesthetic in a procedure room without sedation so you can drive yourself home.
Treatment course typically includes corticosteroid injection to the pulley sheath of the affected digit or thumb. Upwards of two injections spaced out over a month apart. If two injections do not get rid of the symptoms, a surgical release is usually warranted.
Injection if early, not impressive locking. Surgery is needed when the patient has to use his/here other hand.
Normal first step is to do a cortisone shot to the flexor tendon sheath (unless you are an insulin dependent diabetic). Cortisone shots can cause serious elevations of blood glucose levels so are not safe to use with insulin dependent diabetics. If one or two cortisone shots fail to give long term relief, then you may need a simple surgery under local anesthesia to release the tendon A1 pulley.
Usually, one or two steroid injections into the flexor tendon sheath of the affected finger can be tried. If this fails, surgical division of the A1 pulley of the finger is the treatment. Since the pulley is expendable, there is no adverse effect on finger flexion.
Oftentimes trigger fingers can be successfully treated with cortisone injections. If this does not cure the condition, then a simple surgical procedure is recommended in most cases.
A steroid injection into the base of your thumb has a 60-70% chance of relieving the triggering. Sometimes a second injection can be given if the first one does not help. If the triggering persists despite 1 or 2 injections, then outpatient surgery is required. Under local anesthesia, the portion of the flexor tendon sheath that is impeding the gliding of the tendon is released. Surgery takes less than 30 minutes.
Neil Jones, MD
Neil Jones, MD
Trigger thumb can most often be treated successfully with one or more injections of a corticosteroid, however, up to 25% of patients will have recurrent symptoms, and I usually advise a surgical release of the first segment of the flexor tendon sheath if the issue is not resolved after 2 injections with the corticosteroid.
Not always! One or two Cortizone injections can cure more than 50% of people who have trigger fingers. That would be the first course of action. If that fails, surgery can solve the problem.
I recently posted a review video of this exact topic on my Facebook page...jay talsania hand surgery. Literature supports that about 50 % of people with a trigger finger get better with a simple cortisone injection to the sheath. One can also try a trigger splint available on line. If conservative treatment with a shot or two and splinting doesn't work, an outpatient release is performed with very predictable outcomes is performed. Please watch my video and let me know your thoughts.
Medicines, steroids, therapy, and surgery.
The most conservative treatment for a trigger finger is steroid injections.
If that gives some relief after 6 weeks, another injection can be given. If there is no relief from the injection, a simple surgical release can be done. This takes about 20 minutes and is done under local anesthetic.
If that gives some relief after 6 weeks, another injection can be given. If there is no relief from the injection, a simple surgical release can be done. This takes about 20 minutes and is done under local anesthetic.
