Trigger Finger

[HMCGD]

Has anyone suffered a coincidental onset of Trigger finger whilst on the ‘PMR journey’? Just interested if inflammation might be a cause?

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Hi,

Have a look at this link -

bupa.co.uk/health-informati...

Don’t think it’s connected to the inflammation we talk about with PMR - just a coincidence.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

OH has one - no PMR though!

It is more common in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and carpal tunnel syndrome which itself is often found alongside PMR. So there could be an argument that pred-induced diabetes and PMR might play a role. Or not ...

[Griggser]

Last year I had what I thought was trigger finger. It came on a day after I’d done a lot of hand whisking. My forefinger was extremely painful and any movement was agony. I strapped two lolly sticks to my finger to stop me bending it and making me more aware. I then bought a finger splint and had to wear that for about two weeks🙁 This week I was whisking mayonnaise by hand and could feel it starting to get painful, so stopped that and it’s just aching a bit now.

[123mossie in reply to Griggser]

Electric mixer for you for Xmas...

[HeronNS]

I had trigger finger years ago. Long before PMR. Doctor muttered something about snipping a tendon if necessary. Not liking the sound of that I hied me to a physiotherapist who did a little research and at my second visit showed me how to find the place the tendon was catching and massage it. Very soon no longer any trigger finger and it has never recurred. I know what to do if it ever does come back.

Do not get steroid injections for this. Do not have surgery. Your first line of treatment should be what I did: help the tendon to get back into place and behave.

You may also wish to consider what you do in daily life which may have caused the trigger finger in the first place and try to exercise the hand and fingers and not remain doing same repetitive action too long at a time.

Good luck!

[HeronNS]

I was, of course, somewhat younger then, although well into middle age. But what I want is for medical people to try these techniques first, and promptly, rather than their default position being the more invasive, riskier treatments.

I have quite deformed feet now, bunions, etc, and when a foot guy sees them for the first time his first reaction always is why don't I have surgery. Then when he sees how much flexibility I still have in my arthritic feet he drops the idea. Theoretically a foot guy could have operated on my feet years ago and given me frozen toes.