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 conservatively; 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)
Any of these: call 911 or get to an emergency room first. Everything else can wait.
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
If it's become chronic
- Persistent triggering: steroid injection into the sheath is highly effective for this specific condition; conservative care continues alongside
- Refractory 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
More in Elbow, Wrist & Hand
Tennis ElbowGolfer's ElbowCubital Tunnel SyndromeOlecranon BursitisCarpal Tunnel SyndromeDe Quervain's TenosynovitisWrist SprainTFCC Tear
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.