Does Trigger Finger Require Surgery?

Does your finger sometimes get stuck in position when you’re drinking coffee? When you try to straighten your fingers, sometimes one of your fingers won’t open. You may need to push it open with your other hand. 

It’s time to see an orthopedic specialist. 

After examining your hand and asking you to perform movements with your hand and fingers, then reviewing imaging tests, our team of  board-certified orthopedic surgeons at Peninsula Orthopedic Associates may diagnose your condition as trigger finger. 

You may be worried that you won’t ever be able to move your finger normally again. We allay that fear. 

Mild cases of trigger finger respond to conservative treatment. If your trigger finger is persistent and continues to cause painful symptoms, we may recommend routine minor surgery to restore your hand and finger movement. 

What is trigger finger? 

In your fingers, your tendons normally glide up and down inside a protective sheath as you move your fingers. Sometimes the tendons and/or sheath become irritated and inflamed. Inflammation causes swelling, and then the tendon no longer moves easily through the sheath. 

In some cases, a tendon may develop a swollen bump that prevents your finger from moving through the sheath. When this happens, you need to manually move your finger into an open position from a closed one. Without treatment, your finger can get locked in place. 

Does trigger finger require surgery?

It depends on the severity of your symptoms. Statistics show that trigger finger surgery occurs in about 20-50% of cases. 

Conservative treatment for trigger finger 

There’s a good chance that your trigger finger will respond to conservative treatment if we catch it in the early stages. 

Rest 

Resting your hand is a must. It gives your irritated tendons time to heal. We can provide a doctor’s note if you need a break from work or accommodations to your work environment. 

Medication

We can prescribe a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to help reduce pain and swelling. Use of an NSAID is temporary. Long-term use can result in harm to your body. 

Splinting 

We may provide a splint to hold your fingers in place. The splint helps stretch the tendon from its contracted position. 

Stretching or physical therapy 

We may prescribe physical therapy to help increase blood flow to the affected site, thereby reducing pain and inflammation. Physical therapy improves your range of motion and can help break up any scar tissue on the tendon. 

Steroid shot

If your pain is severe, we may administer a steroid shot to calm the inflammation and reduce pain. 

Surgery for trigger finger

Surgery for trigger finger is a minor operation. You receive local anesthesia to numb your fingers and hand. We then make a small incision in the sheath covering the painful tendons in your finger, or we insert a needle to cut the sheath. This enables your tendons to glide through the sheath normally again. 

Call us at Peninsula Orthopedic Associates or book an appointment through our online portal if you have unexplained hand and/or finger pain. We have offices in Daly City, Menlo Park, and Los Gatos, California.