Trigger Finger

No, I'm not talking about guns at all. Rather, I'm talking about a health condition. A trigger finger is a common problem that causes pain and catching. Tendons that help bend the fingers and thumb slide through a snug tunnel. The opening of this tunnel could get smaller due to irritations as the tendons slips into the tunnel or the tendons could thicken making it difficult to pass through the tunnel. When one tries to straighten the finger, the tendon becomes momentarily stuck at the mouth of the tunnel and then pops as the tendons slips past the tight areas. This can cause pain and catching as you try to move the affected finger.

Symptoms usually start without an injury but is very common among people between the ages of 40 to 60 years old and to those people who have certain medical conditions such as diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. One or more fingers could be involved at any given time. If the symptoms are mild, simply resting the affected finger may be enough. Using a splint would be helpful plus over the counter medication like Tylenol can ease the pain. However, the improvements are usually very temporary.

Another option is to have a steroid injection administered by your doctor to the affected finger. Depending on he severity of the problem, a couple of injections may be required. Since this isn't really a serious condition, a third option can also be considered and that is surgery. Usually, this is done as an outpatient procedure. The third option is highly recommended for severe cases like when the finger is stuck in a bent position in order to prevent permanent stiffness.

I would have loved to talk about guns but I'm more concern about health.