If you’ve ever experienced the discomfort of a trigger finger, you know how much it can impact your daily life. Trigger finger, also called stenosing tenosynovitis, is a condition that causes one of your fingers to get stuck in a bent position. This uncomfortable condition can make it challenging to grip, hold, or even use your hand for basic tasks. A trigger finger often leads to hand pain, stiffness, and a “catching” sensation when trying to straighten the affected finger. Our hand pain physiotherapy in Edmonton offers tailored techniques to relieve pain, improve hand mobility, and restore finger flexibility.
Understanding Trigger Finger and Its Causes
Trigger finger happens when the flexor tendons in your hand become inflamed or irritated. These tendons control the movement of your fingers, allowing them to bend and straighten. When they become swollen, they can no longer slide smoothly through the tendon sheath, causing them to catch or lock in place. Common symptoms of trigger finger include:
- Pain at the base of the impacted finger or thumb
- Stiffness, especially in the morning
- A snapping or clicking sensation when moving the finger
- The finger remains “stuck or locked” in a bent position and has to be straightened by hand.
The trigger finger is often linked to repetitive gripping motions, certain medical conditions like diabetes or arthritis, or simply overuse of the hand. If left untreated, the trigger finger can worsen over time, leading to limited hand mobility and chronic hand pain.
How Physiotherapy Can Help with Trigger Finger
1. Stretching Exercises for Finger Flexibility
Gentle stretching exercises are essential for maintaining and improving finger flexibility. These exercises help reduce stiffness and prevent the finger from getting “stuck” by elongating the muscles and tendons, allowing for smoother movement and less discomfort.
- Finger Extension Stretch: Place your affected hand palm down on a table, then gently lift each finger one at a time, holding for a few seconds before releasing. This helps stretch the tendons and improve flexibility.
- Thumb Stretch: Softly pull the affected thumb away from the palm to stretch the thumb muscles and reduce tension around the tendon sheath.
2. Strengthening Exercises for Hand Stability
Strengthening exercises are crucial for stabilizing the muscles in your hand, which can minimize strain on the tendons and support the affected finger. Building strength around the tendon helps prevent the trigger finger from recurring.
- Grip Strength Exercise: Squeeze a soft or stress ball for 5-10 seconds, then release. Repeat 10-15 times. This exercise strengthens the hand muscles and improves hand mobility.
- Finger Lifts with Resistance Bands: Wrap a small resistance band around your fingers and open your hand against the resistance. This strengthens the finger muscles and enhances stability.
3. Manual Therapy Techniques for Pain Relief
It is a hands-on approach that focuses on reducing hand pain and improving circulation to the affected area. By gently manipulating the tendons and surrounding muscles, manual therapy can alleviate tension, reduce inflammation, and enhance the flow of blood, which is essential for healing. Here are some specific manual therapy techniques we use:
- Trigger Point Release: This technique targets tight, painful knots within the muscles and tendons, helping release tension and reduce pain in the affected finger.
- Soft Tissue Mobilization: Soft tissue mobilization involves massaging the tissues around the affected area breaking up adhesions and scar tissue, which improves flexibility and reduces stiffness.
- Myofascial Release: This technique applies sustained pressure to the fascia (connective tissue) around the tendons and muscles, helping reduce pain and improve hand mobility.
4. Modalities for Enhanced Pain Relief and Healing
In addition to manual therapy, we use various physiotherapy modalities to support trigger finger recovery. These therapies can provide effective hand pain relief, reduce inflammation, and accelerate healing:
- Shockwave Therapy: This therapy uses acoustic waves to stimulate blood flow and accelerate tissue repair, minimizing hand pain and enhancing healing in the affected area.
- TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation): It uses low-voltage electrical currents to relieve pain by blocking pain signals sent to the brain, making it especially helpful for persistent hand pain.
- Laser Therapy: Laser therapy promotes cellular repair by targeting inflamed areas with concentrated light, reducing hand pain and inflammation, and speeding up recovery.
5. Splinting for Rest and Support
Sometimes, resting the affected finger is necessary for healing. Our physiotherapists may recommend using a finger splint to keep the finger straight at night when involuntary movements can aggravate the condition. Splinting provides support and prevents the tendon from catching, giving it time to heal.
We’ll guide you on the right type of splint and how to use it effectively based on the severity of your trigger finger. Splinting works alongside stretching, strengthening, and manual therapy to improve pain relief and hand mobility.
6. Lifestyle Adjustments and Ergonomics
Managing the trigger finger goes beyond exercises; it also involves lifestyle adjustments to reduce strain on your hands. Our hand pain physiotherapy in Edmonton helps identify repetitive motions or activities that may contribute to your condition.
For example:
- Take Regular Breaks: Frequent breaks from tasks that require repetitive gripping or finger movements can reduce stress on the tendons.
Use Ergonomic Tools: We may recommend ergonomic adjustments, such as modifying your workspace or changing how you grip objects, to minimize stress on your fingers.
Take Control of Trigger Finger with Next Step Physiotherapy
Coping with a trigger finger can be both frustrating and painful, but you don’t have to live with it forever. Our hand pain physiotherapy in Edmonton offers a holistic approach to managing trigger fingers, focusing on pain relief, improved mobility, and lasting results.
If you’re struggling with a trigger finger, don’t wait to find the relief you deserve. Contact Next Step Physiotherapy today to learn more about our personalized approach. Let’s work together to restore your finger flexibility, minimize pain, and help you get back to the activities you enjoy without discomfort. Reach out to us and take the first step toward pain-free, flexible hands.