Self-treatment of locking finger/thumb (Trigger Finger)

Soreness and swelling over base of finger with painful clicking or snapping sound while bending/straightening finger is called Locking finger/trigger finger.
Morning stiffness with popping sound while straightening or bending finger like a triggering of a gun occurs due to swelling in tendon of finger and a covering over it does not allow going tendon through it while doing any movement of finger.
Morning habits to get rid of this condition are so easy with effective outcome. 

1. Stretch your palm

•  This will help you to relieve morning stiffness 
•  Make a fist and open your fingers at fullest with all fingers apart from each other to feel stretch 
•  Hold position for 10 seconds (9-10 repetitions) 
•  This will also help your muscles to get relaxed 

 2. Stretch your fingers 

•  Place your affected hand over flat surface 
•  Lift your painful finger up while keeping other fingers flat on the surface 
•  Hold it for 10 seconds 
•  Get your mobility back by doing this 5-7 times 

 3. Warm water soaking 

•  Soaking your fingers in warm water for about 8-10 minutes will allow your fingers to move smoothly and will also reduce pain and swelling. 

 These morning habits would show excellent results in early detection of locking/triggering finger in almost 6/10 sufferers.
Only 4-5 patients may require a small procedure;

 “Walk In and Out Procedure”

 1-2cm minor incision and release of swollen tendon with total satisfactory success rate.

 4. Squeeze the smiley ball

•  Strengthen your muscle after reducing swelling and pain 
•  Take a smiley ball and squeeze it with your hand with full strength 
• Hold it for 5 seconds and do it 5-10 times 

 5. Resistance to your finger 

•  To get better blood flow to your affected finger try this 
•  This will also strengthen your finger 
•  Place hand over a flat surface with all fingers placed together 
•  Apart your fingers and give opposite direction force to the affected and its adjacent finger with the help of opposite hand while maintaining counter force of both the fingers 
•  Hold this for 5-10 seconds and repeat 5-10 times for better results 

 6. Towel grab 

•  Place your hand over a towel with palm facing downward 
•  Grab the towel with help of your hand but without curling of fingers 
•  Hold it for 10 seconds and then relax 
•  Do it for 10-15 times 

 7. Make your finger dance 

•  Dancing finger exercise is a synchronized movement of fingers which would help you to get relieved from your triggering 
•  Support elbow on a surface with fingers pointing at ceiling with thumb near to the fingers 
•  Slowly bend fingers , curl them towards palm, make a fist and again open up them, as if fingers are dancing up and down 10-15 repetitions are required minimum 

 8. Massage 

•  Most popular and effective treatment  
• Massage the finger with aloe Vera gel (Natural anti-inflammatory agent) or with the coconut oil gently from bottom to the tip of the finger 5-10 minutes are enough 
•  This will also improve blood circulation and will also help to reduce swelling of the ligament Ultimately leads to faster recovery 

 These morning habits would show excellent results in early detection of locking/triggering finger in almost 6/10 sufferers. Only 4-5 patients may require a small procedure; 

 “Walk In and Out Procedure”

 1-2cm minor incision and release of swollen tendon with total satisfactory success rate.