Trigger Finger Release

Generally, there are no visible symptoms. You may have pain when clicking, popping, or snapping your fingers. You may also experience stiffness in your finger.

There may also be a presence of soreness or a bump at the base of your finger. A locked finger is the inability to straighten out a bent finger, and with force it may straighten out with a painful click.

Trigger finger can sometimes be confused with symptoms for Dupuytren’s contracture.

• A diagnosis for trigger finger also requires a clinical visit to your doctor. X-rays are normally not used, but an ultrasound can define the thickening at the base of the finger (called an A1 pulley), which confirms the diagnosis.Treatment options involve use of a night splint (made up by the hand therapist) and hand therapy. Medicines may relieve pain and slow down the progression of the condition. Cortisone injections are also used for pain. If the snapping or locking of the finger gets significantly worse with time, surgery can be considered.

Surgery is day surgery only, and is done under a combination of local anaesthetic and sleeping medication. A small cut is made over the nodule, and the sheath is released. The cut generally needs 1-2 stitches, which are removed at 2 weeks. Movement is commenced immediately after surgery and patients generally have an uneventful recovery.

• Generally, a day surgery with no hospital stay is common
• Your fingers and hand need to stay dry for 7 days
• Dressings come off at 7 days after surgery
• Your fingers and hand can be used for routine activity like making a coffee, writing and typing
• After 7 days, no restrictions. If still stiff, then hand therapy is normally required