What is Trigger Finger?

The Initial Diagnosis

Unless you know a friend or family member who has suffered from this unique form of tendonitis, it seems totally debilitating at first. You have a finger or thumb that will no longer straighten with ease-especially in the morning. If you manage to move the finger, it makes a popping noise that can be painful. On really bad days, you can’t straighten your finger at all, and it looks as if your hand is wrapped around a gun, and you are about to pull the trigger. Trigger finger surgery Los Angeles seems a real possibility.

Unfortunately, some people are more susceptible to developing trigger finger. More evasive procedures may be necessary for patients that have lost the ability to straighten a finger at all. However, it’s important to exhaust all other treatments first, before contacting a surgeon in Los Angeles. Although he/she can fix the problem, if the less drastic treatments fail.

Individuals are more likely to develop trigger finger if:

• Work or hobbies require frequent opening and closing of the hand
• An individual has rheumatoid arthritis
• An individual has diabetes
• The sufferer is female

Therefore, it’s important to let the health care profession know if any of these conditions apply, since it will aid in the ultimate diagnosis. Sometimes, the same symptoms point to an infection, rather than trigger finger.

What Causes Trigger Finger?

When the sheath around a tendon in the finger becomes inflamed, it also narrows the passageway the tendon needs to pass through, in order to open and close the finger. At first, it’s likely to be a painful popping of the finger or thumb, in the effort to straighten the digit.

However, as time goes on, if the finger or thumb is left untreated, the digit will become impossible to straighten, and it will be necessary to contact a trigger finger surgeon in Los Angeles. Trigger finger surgery Los Angeles is a last result. In many cases, other treatments will relieve the symptoms. The doctor may suggest:

• A 4-6 week period of rest
• A split to hold the finger straight
• Finger exercises
• Avoid gripping
• Anti-inflammatory drugs
• Steroids
• Warm water soak
• Massage

Trigger finger Los Angeles will give you honest advice and lead you towards the right solution for you. In fact, the leading treatment is simply a period of rest. Since the finger or thumb is inflamed and swollen, rest will generally bring the swelling down. Sometimes, the doctor will recommend a split, because it will keep the patient from inadvertently using those digits, before they have a chance to heal correctly.

Trigger finger surgeon in Los Angeles will not do invasive procedures, unless everything else has failed. However, doctors have been known to give the patient a local anesthetic, before poking the tendon with a needle, so it will straighten the finger or thumb back out.

Of course, many of the suggested treatments involve common sense and home remedies. Trigger finger Los Angeles can help you if you need advice or surgery.  Trigger Finger can turn out to bes nothing more than a curable inconvenience.

Disclaimer
HandSurgeryLosAngeles.com does not offer medical advice. The information presented here is offered for informational purposes only. Read Disclaimer