Trigger Finger: Symptoms, Causes & PT Treatment
Updated October 20261 minute read
Trigger finger happens when a finger's flexor tendon catches as it glides through a tight pulley at the base of the finger, so the finger clicks, locks, or snaps when you bend or straighten it. It's often worse in the morning. It's not dangerous, and many cases improve with splinting, activity changes, and tendon-gliding exercises. Persistent locking may need an injection or, occasionally, a minor procedure.
What is trigger finger?
Trigger finger (stenosing tenosynovitis) is irritation and thickening where a finger tendon passes through a pulley, causing catching or locking.
Symptoms
Common features are clicking, catching, or locking of a finger when bending or straightening it, a tender bump at the base of the finger, and stiffness that's often worst in the morning.
What causes it / risk factors
Repetitive gripping, diabetes, and other conditions raise risk; it's more common in middle age and in women.
How it's diagnosed
Diagnosis is clinical from the catching pattern and a tender nodule at the base of the finger.
Physical therapy treatment
What a PT does. Your therapist offloads the tendon with a splint, reduces aggravating gripping, and uses tendon-gliding exercises. Exercises & progression (overview). Night/day splinting to limit catching, activity modification, and tendon-gliding and gentle strengthening. Recovery timeline. Many milder cases improve over several weeks with conservative care.
Treatment options compared
Splinting and conservative care are first-line for milder cases. Corticosteroid injection is commonly effective; a minor release procedure is reserved for persistent locking.
Red flags
A finger locked and unable to release, signs of infection (hot, red, swollen with fever), or significant injury warrant prompt care.
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Frequently asked questions
The tendon catches on a tight pulley, so the finger sticks when bending or straightening.
Sources (5)
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Trigger Finger. — AAOS OrthoInfo
- MedlinePlus: Trigger finger. — NIH/MedlinePlus
- Jeanmonod R, et al. Trigger Finger. StatPearls. — StatPearls (NCBI Bookshelf)
- Peters-Veluthamaningal C, et al. Corticosteroid injection for trigger finger in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009. — Cochrane
- Leong L, et al. Orthotic intervention options to non-surgically manage adult and pediatric trigger finger: A systematic review. J Hand Ther. 2023. — J Hand Ther
This article is for education only and isn't medical advice. Always talk to a licensed clinician about your specific situation.