If your fingers make a popping sound, get stuck in a bent position, or feel sore without injury, you may have trigger finger or trigger thumb. If your orthopedic specialist at OrthoArizona has diagnosed you with this condition, you may want to consider a few treatment options.

Trigger finger exercises are a form of physical therapy that may require gripping items and performing various finger stretches to alleviate pain. Finger abductions are a type of trigger finger exercise that is great for building strength. In this exercise, the patient holds two fingers together with their other hand. Then, the patient slowly begins to separate their fingers with their hand holding them tightly. This creates resistance between the two fingers trying to pull apart. Patients can modify this exercise using a rubber band.

Play dough, a stress ball or squishy pillow can also be used to build up finger strength. With your palm up, spread your fingers as wide as you can, then squeeze down on the ball. Repeat every few seconds. If you are doing stretches from home instead of going to physical therapy, make sure you are performing these exercises carefully to avoid further damage.

As with most exercises, stretching is just as important as the exercise itself. Use a table to slowly bend your fingers backward. Make sure you’re bending them just enough to feel a stretch toward the base of your finger. In addition to exercise, you may benefit from using a finger splint. There are different styles that cater to the different ways trigger finger and trigger thumb affects your hands.

If you find exercise or splinting is not enough to rid you of trigger finger or trigger thumb pain, talk to a physician at OrthoArizona about other options. For more severe cases, surgery from one of our orthopedic surgeons may be necessary. Call OrthoArizona today to set-up your orthopedic evaluation.