Elbow, Wrist & Hand
Trigger Finger
Also called: Stenosing tenosynovitis
A finger (or thumb) that catches, clicks, or locks when bending — from a thickened tendon nodule snagging at the pulley in the palm. More common with gripping work, diabetes, and after 40. Early cases respond to conservative care; locked fingers respond to small procedures with excellent results.
Common signs
- Catching or snapping as the finger bends/straightens
- A tender nodule in the palm at the finger's base
- Morning locking that loosens through the day
- Later: a finger that locks bent and must be pulled straight
Seek help now if
- A finger locked and unable to be straightened (needs timely care to avoid contracture)
- Hot swelling of the finger with fever (infectious tenosynovitis — urgent)
- Multiple triggering digits with systemic symptoms (screen metabolic/inflammatory context)
If any of these is sudden or severe, call 911 or go to an emergency room. For the others, get examined before you start self-care.
What to do first
- Reduce the provoking grip loads (tools, weights, repetitive squeezing) temporarily
- Night splinting the finger straight can break the morning-locking cycle
- Begin gentle tendon-gliding exercises; massage the nodule region
The longer road
- Persistent triggering: steroid injection into the sheath is highly effective for this specific condition; conservative care continues alongside
- Stubborn or repeatedly recurring: a minor release procedure is definitive
- Screen and manage blood sugar — diabetic trigger fingers recur more and respond less
Natural healing options we use
- Load modification and glove/padding strategy for grip work
- Tendon-gliding program and local soft tissue care
- Night extension splinting
- Blood-sugar-conscious nutrition; omega-3 support
About imaging
Clinical; ultrasound only when the picture is unclear.
Daily self-care
- Daily tendon glides
- Padded gloves for grip-heavy tasks
- Address locking early — waiting stiffens the joint beyond the tendon problem
How we can help
Keep working on it at home
Once you have been examined and cleared to load it, these free home programs cover this part of the body.
More in Elbow, Wrist & Hand
Tennis ElbowGolfer's ElbowCubital Tunnel SyndromeOlecranon BursitisCarpal Tunnel SyndromeDe Quervain's TenosynovitisWrist SprainTFCC TearGanglion CystThumb Basal Joint (CMC) ArthritisFlexor TenosynovitisJammed Finger
Please read: this page is education, not a diagnosis. A proper examination is how a condition gets confirmed and a plan gets built. See our medical disclaimer.