Trigger finger

Symptoms of trigger finger

The main symptom of trigger finger is your finger or thumb getting stuck in a bent position, and feeling a clicking or popping when the finger or thumb straightens.

Other symptoms may include:

• pain in your finger, thumb, or the palm of your hand
• stiffness in the affected finger or thumb
• needing to put pressure on the affected finger or thumb to straighten it from a bent position

Your symptoms may be worse in the morning and when doing activities using your hands, such as preparing food, using tools, or playing sport.

Causes of trigger finger

It’s not always known what causes trigger finger, but sometimes it may be caused by an injury.

It happens when a tendon (which connects your muscles to your bones) inside your finger or thumb becomes thickened. This can stop the tendon from moving normally, and can cause it to get trapped when you bend your fingers.

You may be more likely to get it if:

• you’re aged over 40
• you have diabetes
• you have rheumatoid arthritis

How you can treat trigger finger yourself

Trigger finger can sometimes get better on its own without any treatment.

You can try to:

• avoid or reduce activities that make your symptoms worse, until your symptoms improve
• take painkillers such as ibuprofen to help with pain

Treatments for trigger finger

If your trigger finger symptoms do not go away, you may need treatment from a GP or specialist.

Depending on your symptoms, treatment may include:

• medicines such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help with pain
• splinting, which is where the affected finger is strapped to a plastic splint to keep it straight and reduce movement
• steroid injections into your finger or thumb to reduce swelling and pain
• surgery to help your finger or thumb move properly (this is only done if other treatments have not worked)