TRIGGER FINGER

TRIGGER FINGER

We are highly successful in resolving the form of trigger finger which involves the tendon and its various dysfunctions involving its fibres and/or synovial sheath. Trigger finger is a condition where a tendon in your hand becomes stuck in the sleeve that it glides in, leaving your finger stuck in a shortened posture up against your palm.

Symptoms:

If you ever experience a trigger finger condition, you will know it. Your finger will not straighten out after grasping something with your hand. It will be painful and stuck. You may be able to slowly straighten it out, or you may have to wait for minutes or even a few hours before it lets go. The condition will probably re-occur perhaps in increasing frequency or may disappear for weeks or months.

Cause:

Trigger finger conditions develop when the lubricated sleeve that the tendon glides through develops a problem, causing the tendon to stop gliding becoming stuck. Here are some of the most common causes for this to occur.

  • The synovial sheath that the tendon glides in loses its synovial lubricant properties in one spot along its length.
  • The tendon develops tendonitis or tendinosis causing it to swell and bind in the synovial sheath it glides in.
  • Trauma or damage to a spot along the tendon and its sheath, causing the tendon to become stuck.
  • Side effects to the early stages of Dupuytren’s contracture in the palm of the hand. dupuytren’s contracture is a condition where the fascia or connective tissue which surrounds the tendons of the hand becomes shortened causing pressure on the tendons.

What really is happening?

All of the tendons in your hand run through a synovial sleeve just like the brake cable on a bicycle. this synovial sheath is lubricated with synovial fluid and is well anchored to hold the tendon exactly where it must be positioned at all times. If any problems develop with this sheath or the tendon itself, a trigger finger condition may develop. The conditions named after how the finger looks when it becomes stuck like you have just pulled the trigger on a gun.

After the damage has occurred with either the tendon or the sheath, the condition may suddenly develop the tendon lock after some physical work has just been done by the tendon. A painter who grasps cans of paint repeatedly can see a finger lock after putting that paint can down. The hard contraction of the tendon while grasping the heavy paint can by your fingertips, results in the tendon becoming stuck in the synovial sheath and can’t glide through it to lengthen. In most cases the tendon has either tendonitis or tendinosis which results in a swollen inflamed tendon, which causes pressure on the synovial sheath, thus potentially causing a locking episode.

What Treatments Consist of

Trigger finger is an extremely simple condition to resolve. We have developed a protocol using shockwave therapy to resolve any tendinosis or tendinitis with the affected tendon. Any connective tissue fibers of the synovial sheath or surrounding region are also addressed and cleaned up so they no longer affect the tendon’s ability to glide through the sheath. Typically, 2 or 3 treatments is all that is required to resolve trigger finger.

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