Trigger thumb: What helps?

Believe it or not, I am happy to report that a simple vitamin D supplement cured my trigger.
Good luck!

Well, here I go again. Trigger thumb in beginning stage (right hand). I’m pretty sure it was caused by laying/moving landscape bricks for 1-2 hours on consecutive days. The last instance was also caused by overuse: 2 days of excessive weed pulling by hand (Labor Day 2022). Had injection mid October, symptoms gone within 3 weeks. Yes, I tried rest, ice, Voltaren, Icy Hot, exercise before the shot.

I wanted to check with those who had surgery for trigger thumb, whether that fixed the problem permanently? Between almost daily yard work, lots of dicing and slicing food, really heavy pots and pans, and love of knitting and crocheting, there’s simply no way that I won’t use my thumb on a daily basis. So - either another shot, and maybe some restraint in the future, or surgery and be done with it.

Hello! Your activities sound a lot like my mine. The final insult for both of my thumbs was a summer of stacking split wood into rows. Injections were painful and didn’t help. Surgery was a blessed answer. Right thumb, with carpal tunnel repair first, left thumb six weeks later in 2008. I have not had any other issues since then and I am so grateful to have had a great hand specialist. My younger brother has had 6 of his fingers and both thumbs surgically repaired and says it’s the only way to go. I agree. Restraint? Never! Except while healing from the surgery. I did as they told me. New concept🤣😵‍💫! Best of health and well wishes to you 🌻🌻

@valandsheri : Hi as well. Thank you for your insight. As much as I dislike surgeries - I’ve had my share -, as long as the end result is a permanent fix I prefer that to endless temporary treatments. Have gone the route with knee problems and still ended up with knee replacement eventually. Worked out well, though.

Somewhat Related question - I developed arthritis in both of my thumbs by overuse (scrubbed the walls of my pool 3 times to get rid of algae). It is painful but tolerable. Has anyone had surgery for that and if so, what were your results?

@ellerbracke I used Oval 8 from Amazon. Check it out. It cured my thumb I developed it from the Anastrozole I was taking. The thumb just needs to rest. This device is plastic , so doesn’t restrict too much daily activities but restrain to keep from using your thumb. Good luck.

@sequoia: yes, I heard about the Oval 8 rings. It may well work for trigger thumb caused by medication. I’m on Letrozole for over 2 years, no side effects so far. While I’m not dismissing drug interaction, both of my trigger thumb episodes were directly - within 3 to 5 days - linked to overuse. As in heavy use of a type that I usually don’t do, or don’t do anywhere near as long as I did.
Depending on one’s daily activities, rest with Oval 8 can probably be the fix. Unfortunately, I absolutely intend to continue my thumb-stressing activites, perhaps not to the extreme, but still. So even if the current episode is healed, chances are there’ll be another one, and another one, and so on, after that.
That’s the reason I’m considering surgery to get it done and over with. Of course I’ll listen to hand surgeon’s input before any action is taken.

Well I used Oval 8 on my thumb & worked. I realize we can’t stop what we do in life but moderate the extreme. Listen to your hand surgeon , cuz over stressed thumb after surgery may stress cause issues. You may have to flow things down. Sounds like you’re a hard worker. Me too & by the time I think I’ve done enough … oops too late … sore back. 😂

I often sit on my hands to straighten my thumbs. I also wear rubber gloves that support my hands when I’m typing. They support my thumbs but leave them an opening in the gloves.

I suffered with a trigger thumb for a long time. It came on slowly and kept getting worse. (I suspect my RA was more to blame than any kind of repeating motion). I finally went to a hand Dr. who gave me a steroid shot and told me it might take a couple of weeks to take effect. 10 minutes later when I got into my car to drive home, I was AMAZED at how great the joint felt. I could hold the steering wheel w/o pain. That lasted about 6 months and then I went back for another shot which again gave me absolute relief. The Dr. said that if it came back again surgery was going to be needed. It did come back after another 6 months or so. I had the surgery. It was at an outpatient surgery center and really no big deal. Not super painful and no complications. I did all the rehab religiously and have not had another problem. That was 6 or 7 years ago. But I did develop a trigger pinkie. Went to a different hand Dr. who suggested surgery over steroid shot b/c the steroid shot was so painful and the surgery on your pinkie is REALLY minimal. I opted for the steroid shot and he was right. The shot was incredibly painful in my pinkie! WAY worse than the shots in my thumb. But that being said, my pinkie trigger finger has not come back and that was probably 4 or 5 years ago now. If it does come back, I will probably opt for the surgery which can apparently be done right in the Drs office.