Our fingers are built to bend and move freely but what happens when it suddenly starts locking mid movement? When this occurs, we commonly refer to this as trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis).
We actually don’t have muscles in our fingers, its all tendons. Tendons are the connectors (rope) that attach to the muscle and onto the bone to allow for movement. To fully bend or straighten our fingers, we need those tendons in our fingers to be able to glide smoothly to allow for movement. These tendons are wrapped around a tendon sheath, similar to a glad wrap), and the tendon needs to be able to freely move within that sheath.
While we don’t know the exact cause of trigger finger, research suggests those that do a lot of gripping/manual work, or other activities where your fingers are bent for a long period of time (i.e. rock climbing, writing) these can all be risk factors for trigger finger. It’s important to know this isn’t always the case and it can sometimes develop because of other medical conditions or for unknown reasons as well.
What is it about trigger finger that causes that clicking or locking? The theory behind this is that when there’s an irritation to one of the tendons in your fingers, there’s inflammation between the tendons and the sheaths (the glad wrap). That inflammation restricts the usual smooth movement between the tendon and the sheath. In some cases, you might be able to feel the formation of a little bump along the tendon as well. This little bump or nodule can then sometimes get trapped in the sheath restricting movement as well leading to those moments where you might feel like your finger is locked into place temporarily or clicking.
Trigger finger can be a particularly frustrating and debilitating condition because we use our hands for so many days to day tasks. If you’re someone looking for answers on how this can be managed, then the good news is that there are so many ways we can help you.
A guided exercise program under the care of a physio or hand therapist is aimed to help get you full movement back into your fingers, strength up and get you back to your goals – work, rock climbing or just every day tasks/activities.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re seeking answers and want to hear all your options, it’s all about finding the right fit of tools that works for you. You can speak to our friendly reception team and book an appointment with our physios – (07) 3063 3043
Simran Dharamdasani – Agape Physio
