topic Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb in Wellness

Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:21:20 GMT

Has anyone had this? I have what seems to be trigger thumb. My thumb catches but doesn't lock..I've had for about a month..Checked internet and have done some exercises but not sure if doing more harm than good...I also wear a splint. Any suggestions? I have an appt with my doctor in couple weeks but just wanted to know if anyone has had any good results with anything.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

FranandZoe — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:28:10 GMT

Yes I've had it - so did my Dad and my brother does too.

Mine was on my middle and ring fingers - both hands. I had Cortisone injections for years. It works for awhile but wears off. Then I finally had surgery and that solved the problem. Good luck!

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

Shelbelle — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:42:15 GMT

I know a few who have had surgery for it.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

ciao_bella — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:45:06 GMT

@89135 Yes! Had a trigger left thumb 2 years ago. I splinted it with one of those Oval-8 finger thumb splints. Got it on Amazon. It comes with several different sizes, so you can get the right fit for your thumb. I pretty much wore this split most of the time, so that I could still do things like wash dishes, fold cloths, etc. I was able to do a lot wearing it and felt pretty confident using it.

I wasn't able to get an appointment with a hand specialist until just over the entire month that I wore the splint. He told me I could go on the rest of my life with the splint, or I could begin to 'wean' off the splint and only use it when it was necessary or when my thumb gave me a bad day. So, that's what I did, and within the next several months my thumb began to get stronger and the clicking and locking began to be less and less.

My thumb today is back to normal. It did take about a full 6 months from when it started for it to be a normal working thumb. So, have patience. I hope this helps.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:43:00 GMT

Might be a dumb question but does the cortisone shots hurt??

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 14:51:24 GMT

@ciao_bella Well thats good to hear...I have been wearing a thumb splint . It's not the Oval 8 but one similar..It helps..If I take off the splint it doesn't bother me until it unexpectedly bends and clicks. Was thinking the more it bends the worse it is..Was that the same in your case? Did you do any exercises for it?

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

FranandZoe — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:15:24 GMT

@89135 wrote:
Might be a dumb question but does the cortisone shots hurt??

@89135 Yes. Sorry.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

Estates — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 15:41:16 GMT

@89135 Yup,I had a trigger thumb about 10 years ago.It was my left hand which is not my dominant hand. I was trying to do more tasks with my left hand for a brain challenge. Unfortunately,that was my result.

I went to the doctor and they said they start with meloxicam and see if the inflamation subsides. Then they move to shots then surgery,etc until relief.

Fortunately, my pain subsided within 3 weeks and I have not been bothered with it since. Hope you can find the treatment that works for you.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:15:15 GMT

@Estates Mine is also the left thumb. So did you try the meloxicam, shots and then surgery or did it just subside in 3 wks?

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

Buffalogal47 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:22:29 GMT

I had trigger thumb 20 years ago. The doctor gave me a cortisone shot (which hurt like blazes!) and prescribed naproxen. It worked; I haven't had any issues since.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

catter70 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 16:28:07 GMT

I think I have that in my ring finger. It gets stuck in a bent position and I have to manually straighten it. Doesn't happen often and causes no pain.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:40:51 GMT

@Buffalogal47 I doubt if I get the shot...not good with any pain...I have 500 mg naproxen that the dr ordered for me awhile back for back spasms and inflammation..How often did you take the naproxen..?

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:46:21 GMT

@catter70 yeah thats probably what you have..the ring finger is one of the fingers most affected along with the thumb...My thumb doesn't get stuck or lock, it just kinda makes a little popping sound and goes back. Its just kinda a nuisance..

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

Buffalogal47 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:22:12 GMT

@89135 It was so long ago that I don't remember. I think I probably took it twice a day, morning and evening, but it was so long ago. I also took the 500 milligrams. Better check with your doctor to be on the safe side.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

ciao_bella — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 20:51:32 GMT

@89135 I did not do any exercises for it. The hand specialist said to keep the splint off for part of the day, when it seems to start clicking of popping then put the splint back on. I did this on and off over the course of a 3 or 4 weeks, and it slowly became less and less using the splint.

I didn't feel totally confident that it was completely gone until about 5 or 6 months. By that I mean, my thumb felt fine and wasn't clicking or popping, but I felt I couldn't, for lack of better words, "trust it" when I had to hold something using that thumb for support.

The specialist said if it didn't get better, he would consider a shot, but he said most of the time, it heals by itself, if you're patient and give it time. He was right!

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:06:06 GMT

Thanks everyone so much....I'm going to take my naproxen (1 x day til I see dr) and do what @ciao_bella has done....I will also see what my dr has to say in a few weeks..

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

willdob3 — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:26:48 GMT

@89135 wrote:
Has anyone had this? I have what seems to be trigger thumb. My thumb catches but doesn't lock..I've had for about a month..Checked internet and have done some exercises but not sure if doing more harm than good...I also wear a splint. Any suggestions? I have an appt with my doctor in couple weeks but just wanted to know if anyone has had any good results with anything.

@89135 Yes. I had trigger thumb. My doctor was getting me scheduled for surgery (only way to fix it, so doctors told me) when I happened upon a discussion online about how it and similar problems can be caused by B6 deficiency. Supplementing with the correct form of B6 (P5P) could get rid of the problem.

I canceled the surgery and tried P5P. My thumb never locked again after taking it the first time and my thumb regained complete range of movement.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

89135 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:31:29 GMT

@willdob3 I also found a discussion online (maybe same one) that mentioned P5P...I am going to ask my doctor about it...I checked back on my bloodwork and can't find where I was checked for B6...I am checked for B12 and Vit D deficiency so I guess I should get checked for B6 also...what brand P5P did you use if you remember ? How long did it take to work ?

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

kismet — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 00:56:48 GMT

I had it in my little finger. It didn't lock completely but did click on and off. I did some hand exercises and it's fine after about a month. Yes, cortisone shots hurt in the finger. I was getting shots for my knees and my finger hurt more. The doctor said there isn't much in the finger that's why it hurts so much but I would get one if I had to.

Re: Trigger Finger/Thumb

willdob3 — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 01:54:16 GMT

@89135 wrote:
@willdob3 I also found a discussion online (maybe same one) that mentioned P5P...I am going to ask my doctor about it...I checked back on my bloodwork and can't find where I was checked for B6...I am checked for B12 and Vit D deficiency so I guess I should get checked for B6 also...what brand P5P did you use if you remember ? How long did it take to work ?

@89135 I never asked my doctor about it or had my labs tested for it. When I told the doctor I was going to try the supplement before resorting to surgery, he thought I was crazy. Later, when I told him it had helped, he laughed at me. (Just one reason he is no longer my doctor.)

It started working right away. Day one. It never locked or felt like it was going to lock again. Pain decreased and disappeared. The last thing to happen was full range of motion.

I've used a few different brands. You just want to be sure not to get plain B6. This is the most recent brand I've used from Amazon: Life Extension Pyridoxal 5'-Phosphate Caps—Vitamin B6, 100 mg, Bioactive B6.