I Have a Trigger Finger - And Not the Good Kind!

[etrain16]

Wifey has you beat, she's had FIVE trigger fingers fixed.



What @jbett98 says was true, PT did nothing! Same with recovery, pretty easy. Wifey even had one on each hand done at the same time. She asked if it would save money to do them at the same time and he said "Lots". She had a hand specialist Clifford Canepa, MD, FACS | Providence Oregon do all of hers. Another hand specialist I go to for cortisone in the wrist shots is very good. Mark J Buehler, MD | Providence Oregon That pic of him is like 30 years old. I tease him about it when I see him.

Good luck man...Considering recoveries from surgeries trigger finger seems pretty easy. Wifey was absolutely miserable before she got them fixed.

Well, hearing the responses from JBett and yourself, I'm encouraged that this is a minor procedure with a quick recovery. I appreciate the input and the recommendations!

 

[etrain16]

Well that sucks. I know the feeling to a minor degree, my right thumb will catch and not move anymore until I force it to bend. With your information above if it gets worse I'll seek medical assistance.

I could probably live with it for quite a while, but once I heard it could lead to permanent damage through scaring internally, I decided I need to address this. Good luck with yours.

 

[oknow]

Just keep the girlfriend around to remind you to exercise your finger, it will keep her happy too. Just don't let mama know.




Sorry to see that happen to anyone.

 

[RicInOR]

Well I honestly never knew that "trigger finger" was an actual medical condition, but I do now.

How much dry fire practice / actual shooting do you have to do to get this?

 

[etrain16]

How much dry fire practice / actual shooting do you have to do to get this?

In my case, I seriously doubt shooting is a primary factor, I just don't shoot enough. I had issues a while back working with my hands in the construction industry, a lot of cutting, grasping, twisting, drilling, root-hammering, pounding with hammers, etc. On top of that, I'm a type 1 diabetic which could be a contributing factor as well. I suppose the grip of the gun hitting my palm during recoil could certainly have contributed.

 

[Caveman Jim]

I've got the same thing in my left thumb but mine grinds when it moves around.... it's from holding my stupid smart phone!!!

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Sucks bad! Get well and conquer, brother!

 

[etrain16]

Well, I talked to my GP again yesterday, he's going to let me bypass PT as I shared with him in my conversations with you folks, seems to be pretty worthless for treating this. The ibuprofen treatment for a week helped, but only a little. So, I'm off to see a hand specialist here in the near future to see if surgery is his recommendation to get this fixed. We'll see where it goes from there.

 

[etrain16]

Update: Took a while to finally get in to see a specialist, which I did 2 days ago. He confirmed the diagnosis of trigger finger in my right thumb. His recommendation was to try a cortisone injection first, as that can be a long term, even permanent solution, especially in thumbs. So we did the injection and as of today, I still can't bend the thumb, in fact it's stiffer than it was and somewhat bruised from the injection. He said it could take several days to really take effect. In any case, he doesn't want to see me for a month, regardless of results, just to give it a chance to work. If that doesn't do it, it will be surgery next.

 

[The Heretic]

Nowhere near that degree. I think what I have is closer to carpal tunnel. My arm can hurt because of it. But my pain is nowhere near what you describe.

When I go for my bi-weekly chiro I will often also have him work on my right hand, which often involves pulling on my thumb until it pops at the wrist and he often works on my wrist directly.

 

[etrain16]

Nowhere near that degree. I think what I have is closer to carpal tunnel. My arm can hurt because of it. But my pain is nowhere near what you describe.

When I go for my bi-weekly chiro I will often also have him work on my right hand, which often involves pulling on my thumb until it pops at the wrist and he often works on my wrist directly.

I had carpal tunnel, both hands, about 12 years ago. Had surgery on both hands. Tried chiro for a while, but it only delayed the inevitable. The pain got so bad it had radiated into my back. Surgery cleared it up, pain was gone almost overnight. Hasn't been back since. I'd like to avoid another surgery, but if that's what it takes to make it better, I'll not hesitate like I did with the carpal tunnel.

 

[DuneHopper]

If there is Trigger shoulder I think I have that it comes and goes. Over time having it knocked it over and over and outta place
it now snags. I don't bruise so never see anything weird just hours after shooting it tells me how much fun I had.
Doing pushups is like pulling toenails now and I used to do those all the time. I had to make a choice save myself for shooting or pushups. I went with shooting, I try and get good padding when I shoot now and that helps but larger calibers still will leave it clicking and popping. Within a day or three I am back ok. I wonder however in 20 years when I am well 20 years older how that shoulder will work. Sorry about your trigger finger, I am surprised with all the stupid drivers in this state I don't have middle finger issues too.

 

[Mygrainman]

I think I got trigger brain... It hangs up mid thought all the time.

 

[The Heretic]

When I was young and foolish I had two accidents that give me grief now ~50 years later.

The first, I did an endo off my bicycle and injured my right shoulder. The result was soon after I had problems throwing anything like a baseball/etc. - today I have constant pain in that shoulder, have had pain there for about a decade. I have problems drawing a bow too. Chiro helps most of the time, but rarely eliminates it. My whole right side usually has some low grade chronic pain, from head to toes - especially my foot the last 5 years.

The other accident was an endo in a car - I flipped a car, end for end, twice, coming back right side up - barreling down Boones Rd. south of Salem (back in the 70s when it was still a thru road), doing 80 MPH in the rain with bald tires (I was exceedingly stupid as a teenager). That accident screwed up my back and neck and combined with the bicycle endo causes chronic pain every day. The last time I was without some kind pain was a few hours after I was given a morphine IV for kidney stones.

But while it is chronic and annoying, it is rarely severe for any real length of time. So I live with it for now. It is slowly getting worse and now both my hips bother me on and off, so at some point I will have real problems being mobile.

 

[11Charlie]

Dang I always hate hearing that someone is in pain. Cortisone didn't do a whole lot for my knee and that was after surgery. Doc told me I was to young for a replacement so I basically need to deal with the pain for another three to five years before they will consider it.

Hope that shot works for you etrain. It sucks when you have a limb or digit that isn't functioning properly.

 

[Mikej]

Update: Took a while to finally get in to see a specialist, which I did 2 days ago. He confirmed the diagnosis of trigger finger in my right thumb. His recommendation was to try a cortisone injection first, as that can be a long term, even permanent solution, especially in thumbs. So we did the injection and as of today, I still can't bend the thumb, in fact it's stiffer than it was and somewhat bruised from the injection. He said it could take several days to really take effect. In any case, he doesn't want to see me for a month, regardless of results, just to give it a chance to work. If that doesn't do it, it will be surgery next.

When Jane had her trigger finger(s) the pain from popping/locking in and out was pretty much a daily thing. She did do some physical therapy but that did nothing for her. Cortisone wasn't even mentioned if I remember right. As far as that shot goes....When get my once a year or so for lack of cartilage in my wrist it's pretty much an instant relief.

When I was young and foolish I had two accidents that give me grief now ~50 years later.

The first, I did an endo off my bicycle and injured my right shoulder. The result was soon after I had problems throwing anything like a baseball/etc. - today I have constant pain in that shoulder, have had pain there for about a decade. I have problems drawing a bow too. Chiro helps most of the time, but rarely eliminates it. My whole right side usually has some low grade chronic pain, from head to toes - especially my foot the last 5 years.

The other accident was an endo in a car - I flipped a car, end for end, twice, coming back right side up - barreling down Boones Rd. south of Salem (back in the 70s when it was still a thru road), doing 80 MPH in the rain with bald tires (I was exceedingly stupid as a teenager). That accident screwed up my back and neck and combined with the bicycle endo causes chronic pain every day. The last time I was without some kind pain was a few hours after I was given a morphine IV for kidney stones.

But while it is chronic and annoying, it is rarely severe for any real length of time. So I live with it for now. It is slowly getting worse and now both my hips bother me on and off, so at some point I will have real problems being mobile.

I don't remember for sure, I may have suggested the "Synchro Gold" to you already, but here goes again anyway. The World's Most Powerful Turmeric Elixir. I'm not into a bunch of "Natural" homeopathic remedies at all, but this stuff has been an amazing help for my chronic shoulder and neck pain.

 

[etrain16]

Well, 3 days since the injection, pain and swelling have definitely decreased, and I can now bend my thumb with much less pain, though still the "hitch" I was feeling before. I'm thinking the cortisone is still working - after all, this has been going on for 4 months now, so I guess I can't expect an overnight solution. I'm thankful to see it making some progress though!

 

[The Heretic]

I don't remember for sure, I may have suggested the "Synchro Gold" to you already, but here goes again anyway. The World's Most Powerful Turmeric Elixir. I'm not into a bunch of "Natural" homeopathic remedies at all, but this stuff has been an amazing help for my chronic shoulder and neck pain.

You did mention it before and thank you.

I generally eat something with curry on it every day. Tumeric is the main ingredient in curry. I also regularly sprinkle garlic and ginger on my food.

Maybe I could up the amount, but I notice the pain mostly after sleeping or sitting. I am pretty sure I need a new mattress.

 

[Mikej]

Well, 3 days since the injection, pain and swelling have definitely decreased, and I can now bend my thumb with much less pain, though still the "hitch" I was feeling before. I'm thinking the cortisone is still working - after all, this has been going on for 4 months now, so I guess I can't expect an overnight solution. I'm thankful to see it making some progress though!

Jane originaly had several months of pain before the doc did the surgery with waiting to find out what the pain was then drug therapy and physical therapy, and then the surgery. A year later when she had another finger, or two, triggering the doc just got her in and and BAM done.

 

[etrain16]

Updating my own thread.

After getting the cortisone injection back in May, it took almost a full month for everything to get back to normal. That was good for about 2 months, but at the beginning of Sept, it came back, and worse, this time.

So, saw the hand surgeon again yesterday, and he said it would be a waste of time to do more cortisone, and we should just 'fix it' for good. He said if the cortisone was going to fix it, it would do it with the first shot - and for some, it does just that. And I agree with him, I don't want to drag this out any longer than necessary, I want this done and gone.

Waiting now to hear back from them to schedule a surgery date to get this permanently fixed. Kind of a PITA to have to do this, but having my thumb like this just isn't an option. Thankfully it's a quickie day surgery and only a few weeks to full use after that.