Trigger Finger

[JamieMarc]

Has anyone overnight developed trigger finger, or does anyone here have trigger finger? If so, do you know what caused it to begin, or what is the cause of it? And what can you tell me about treatment for trigger finger?
Mine developed overnight suddenly about a month ago, in addition to new left shoulder pain and left humerus pain. For a couple months before it began, I had started taking a daily injection of a drug to treat lipodystrophy, specifically visceral fat. Since that was the only thing I could think of that might have caused it, and muscle pain is a common side effect at 10%, I told my doctor I wanted to stop the injections which I did. It is a growth hormone type drug. And I do have an appointment about this with my doctor coming up this week. However, I still have the trigger finger and the shoulder pain that was not there before even 3 weeks after stopping the injections, probably closer to a full month since I stopped.
Thanks for any help or insight.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[sunkacola]

Yep.
I have had severe trigger finger at various times. Usually I'd wake up with it and it would take a half hour or so for my finger(s) to work properly. One time, years ago, one of my thumbs froze straight and would not bend at all, as if it were a solid thing without a joint in it. It stayed that way for 8 months, and then one day suddenly it bent, which was excruciatingly painful, and I had to bend it back straight again, also painful. Then, over the course of several weeks it very gradually became normal again. This all happened spontaneously, without any treatment or attempt to bend it.

During that time I saw a hand specialist, who couldn't tell me what caused it, and told me that there was only one treatment for trigger finger, and that was to have steroids injected into the joints. He told me it was a very painful injection, and would only last for about a month. I said no thanks!

In recent years, I have not had the problem very much at all. Occasionally I will wake up with one finger stuck but it will loosen up again in a few minutes, and it doesn't happen more than a few times a year.

 

[JayCS]

I still have the trigger finger ... Thanks for any help or insight.

Tried my first go to yet, youtube? As ever it seems to offer manifold treatments and understanding what it actually is...

 

[JamieMarc]

Thank you for your response and sharing your experience with me. It's a scary thing and, like you said, so painful. In the short time that I have had it in both hands, but worse in my left, the worst episode lasted for 1 hour where I could not straighten my middle finger at all just as you described. Like there was no joints.
Like you, I won't take injections either. I was offered them for my spine over a year ago, but refused due to the risks of permanent damage and even paralysis, as I have known some who have suffered from that after injections.
Your experience gives me hope that perhaps it will improve on its own in time. In the meantime, I have been wearing my compression gloves or wearing a finger splint every night while sleeping to give my tendons a rest, and I have also found that my facial moisturizer, which contains hyaluronic acid, seems to help a little when I rub it into my hands several times a day.
I'm anxious to see what my doctor will have to say about it this week. I suspect, like you, she will refer me to a hand specialist or an orthopedist or rheumatologist.
Thanks again @sunkacola

 

[JamieMarc]

Thanks Jay. I have been watching YouTube regularly for my back, thanks to your suggestion a while ago. I will check it out for trigger finger as well. I hadn't thought of that.

 

[JamieMarc]

uring that time I saw a hand specialist, who couldn't tell me what caused it, and told me that there was only one treatment for trigger finger, and that was to have steroids injected into the joints. He told me it was a very painful injection, and would only last for about a month. I said no thanks

A few years ago I had an injection in my thumb joint for my osteoarthritis and, it sure did hurt and I was lucky if I got three or four days of relief. Another reason I won't go that route.
I also thought of something you wrote somewhere else I wanted to mention. For as long as I can remember, my body just wakes up after 7 hours of sleep. I don't know if it's due to pain or my internal body clock, but occasionally I will sleep 9 hours inexplicably, and man does it make a difference! You had mentioned 8 to 9 hours of sleep and how important that is. So another one of my goals this year is to try to get one to two extra hours of sleep a night. Thank you for that!

 

[Auriel]

I dont have trigger finger (I always thought the trigger finger was the index one) my dumb waking up hours are between 2 and 4 am (I'm like a button at those times) but "normal" waking up time, I can't even wake up properly (I feel completely hung over!) I can't even imagine what having an injection in the thumb joint is like (I was wincey just reading it!!!)

 

[JamieMarc]

Trigger finger can affect any finger, and the thumb as well. I suppose the condition is called that because when the finger releases from the locked position, it's like a trigger popping back. Hard to explain. I watched some videos as Jay suggested and got some new ideas, but it seems the most important thing to do is use a splint on the finger at all times for at least 8 weeks (ugh), and another video the doctor showed some massage techniques on different parts of the hand and forearm. I am going to order a different type of finger splint tonight called an oval 8 as it seems to be the best one to wear constantly and still be able to use your hands. And then I am praying that after many weeks, the information in the tendon will have healed. The last thing I needed is yet another issue. LOL.

 

[Auriel]

Well done @JamieMarc (I hope it makes a difference) jaycs has lots of good ideas (I've gone to him in the past with lot's of questions @JayCS GET BETTER SOON (I want the dr's and test results to hurry up and find out what's wrong with you, to make you better) ps trigger finger made me think of a gun (that's why index popped into my mind)

 

[JamieMarc]

Yes, I wanted to say and agree with you that Jay has given me lots of great ideas that I have implemented and still to this day. Just one example, I love my hanging bar that I installed. That was Jay's idea and it is something I use many times a day to relieve some back pain. And that's just one thing. Thank you @JayCS

 

[JayCS]

7 hours of sleep. I don't know if it's due to pain or my internal body clock, but occasionally I will sleep 9 hours inexplicably, and man does it make a difference! You had mentioned 8 to 9 hours of sleep and how important that is. So another one of my goals this year is to try to get one to two extra hours of sleep a night.

LD N along with tuning into the circadian rhythm puts me into effective sleep. This now is usually slightly above 8h, my 3-4x5' breaks = 20' subtracted. If too much above that's often bad for me, not always, and often 7h is good, I feel better refreshed, but only for about 3 days, then I have to make sure I get back to more like 8h. So for me it varies what I need, and I can vary as needed. It reminds me of reading/hearing newer research that sleep longer than 8 hours may not be good.

I never use an alarm clock any more, and much prefer my body to find out, but I find it difficult to sense when the right time is to get up. Often if I think I still need some sleep at around 6 or 7, but stay up, I feel great, and when I don't get up, feel bad.
Also it's daft if I look at a clock at that time, cos that "excites" me, makes my brain start chattering, altho my body doesn't want it to. I now solve that regularly by doing NSDR for the last hour or so, and get back to sleep quick that way.
But if I don't look at the clock, and it's still always dark anyway, then I don't have any orientation when praps the right time is to get up. If I just carry on lying down cos I feel "dead", then I take longer to feel good when I finally do get up...

So maybe your solution is not to overdo it with 1-2h every night, just playing along with it, like me.

 

[JayCS]

my dumb waking up hours are between 2 and 4 am (I'm like a button at those times) but "normal" waking up time, I can't even wake up properly

When I had that most, it was from too much histamine... When I suggested that to my table tennis mate who said he wakes up then after eating old bread, he checked and found a clear histamine food issue, and has learnt to manage it. He's the kind of guy like most who doesn't wanna talk about health stuff, but he sure was thankful finding that out.

 

[Auriel]

Um, why's your mate eating old bread? (I've heard of people eating old cheese but never old bread )

 

[JamieMarc]

If too much above that's often bad for me, not always, and often 7h is good, I feel better refreshed, but only for about 3 days, then I have to make sure I get back to more like 8h. So for me it varies what I need, and I can vary as needed. I

This is precisely how it works with me as well. I can be okay on 7 hours for a while, but then something happens and I need like 9 hours, and then I feel terrific, relatively speaking.

 

[JamieMarc]

Also it's daft if I look at a clock at that time, cos that "excites" me, makes my brain start chattering, a

LOL Same here, Jay. I have not used an alarm clock for many years. I don't need one because my body will always wake up at the 7-hour Mark or before. But what I thought was so funny is that I will sometimes wake up and since that it's too early to get up. I am tempted to ask Alexa what time it is, but I don't because of exactly what you described here. Best for me to just trust my instinct that it's not the right time and lie back down for some more sleep.