Advice | Trigger Finger Symptoms

Posted by dmunsie @dmunsie, Mar 14, 2021

Male | 58 | good health. I've done the research, but this still baffles me and I don't know if I should continue this regimen or if I'll need a steroid shot or surgery to permanently heal. I have trigger finger symptoms in my pinky finger (catching, stiffness, pain) but ONLY if I don't use it! If it's in a stint, brace, etc, it gets worse quickly. But if I stretch, use it, etc, it feels fine. When stiff there is an obvious swelling lump (of tendons?) at the base of the finger. But again...as soon as I start stretching, exercising the finger, it all goes away and feels 100% fine. I find myself squeezing an exercise ball a lot during the day because it keeps it loose and feels great. Warm water seems to immediately resolve any symptoms as well. I'm very active with my hands, hand squeezers, sports, I'm also a drummer. I'm pretty sure this is an "over use" injury, but everything I read said avoid doing what might have caused it, rest the finger, etc, etc, but all that makes it worse, so I'm confused how I should proceed. This has been going on for a month now and is not going away, it's not getting worse, just not going away. Thanks for any help.

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anniez1943 | @anniez1943 | Nov 4 6:41pm

Hi happilyalive Just "had" to share my experience. Had trigger finger in right hand. Had injection to help it. Helped so far. Then same in left ring finger. Fell on left shoulder, hip and knee. Ortho doc said I messed up some ligaments in shoulder and down to elbow. Pain excruciating. Had steroid injections with zero help. He said I might have to have shoulder replacement. OMG. NO!!!!! I found a remarkable, amazing MT who performed 3 excruciating massages in that area plus other areas of my chest, etc for other things after mastectomy and the pain in my shoulder is 95% GONE and so is my trigger finger. If this all sounds weird, I understand. I couldn't believe it either. But the pain is literally now gone and the trigger finger was a bonus. Just had to share my story. I will be going to my lovely MT every month if not more frequently. Good luck and blessings on your Trigger finger journey.