What’s Trigger Finger? Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments

You’re furiously typing a reply in a text message exchange when your thumb gets stuck in a bent position. As you try to straighten it, you hear a snapping sound. If this scenario is familiar, you may have experienced trigger finger. 

Characterized by a locking sensation when you bend and straighten your finger or thumb, trigger finger often happens to people who make repetitive hand movements. The condition earns its name from the popping sound that may occur when a locked finger snaps back into place. And it can cause pain and stiffness that make it difficult to move your fingers. 

So what can you do about it? Let’s take a closer look at trigger finger –– including its causes, symptoms, and treatments –– to find out. 

What causes trigger finger?

Flexing and extending your fingers involves a multi-step process for your bones, muscles, and the tendons that connect them. First, muscles in the forearm contract. Then, flexor tendons –– which start at the forearm and end at the fingertips –– move through a tunnel-like sheath. This makes it possible to bend and straighten your fingers. 

Trigger finger (stenosing flexor tenosynovitis) occurs when a flexor tendon or tendon sheath gets inflamed, making it difficult to move the affected finger(s). Several factors can increase your risk of developing trigger finger: 

• Age: Trigger finger often affects people between the ages of 40 and 60. 

• Sex: The condition is more common in females. 

• Medical conditions: Certain conditions –– including diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout –– raise your risk of developing trigger finger. 

• Overuse: People with jobs or hobbies that require repetitive or forceful hand movements –– like farming or playing a string instrument –– have a higher chance of getting trigger finger. 

Because trigger finger is usually a repetitive strain injury, it’s not surprising that it also affects regular technology users, from frequent texters to video gamers. So it’s sometimes referred to as “smartphone finger” or “gamer’s thumb.” Other factors, like surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome, have also been linked to the condition. 

What are the symptoms of trigger finger?

Although it can affect any finger or multiple fingers at once, trigger finger is most common in the thumb and ring finger. Symptoms may include: 

• Pain at the base of the affected finger

• Stiffness in your finger 

• Sensitivity or a lump at the bottom of your finger, near your palm 

• A clicking or snapping when you bend or straighten your finger 

• A finger locked in a bent position 

Trigger finger symptoms, like pain and stiffness, may be worse in the morning. But they usually decline as you use your finger throughout the day. 

What treatments are available for trigger finger?

Your healthcare provider can diagnose trigger finger based on your medical history and a brief physical exam. The exam, which doesn’t usually require X-rays, may include activities like opening and closing your hand. Treatment depends on the severity of your symptoms. For people with mild trigger finger symptoms, one or more of the following treatment options may help: 

• Rest: Try to rest your hand, and avoid movements like repeated gripping that make your symptoms worse. 

• Splint: Wear a splint to immobilize the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint –– or the knuckle where the finger bone meets the hand bone –– in the affected finger. 

• Medication: Over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can relieve pain and inflammation.

• Exercises: Stretching exercises can reduce pain and improve your range of motion. 

• Steroid injections: Your healthcare provider may give you a cortisone shot to treat the inflammation and correct the triggering or locking in the affected finger. 

If your symptoms are severe or don’t improve with nonsurgical treatments, your healthcare provider may recommend one of two procedures: 

• Percutaneous release: Percutaneous means “through the skin.” After numbing the palm of your hand, your healthcare provider inserts a needle to loosen the tissue around the tendon sheath. Some providers may use an ultrasound to guide the needle. 

• Surgical release: In tenolysis or trigger finger release, a surgeon numbs your hand, makes a small cut at the base of your finger, and opens the tendon sheath to make it easier to move your finger. 

Both procedures are usually done on an outpatient basis, but recovery from trigger finger release surgery may take longer. 

Can you treat trigger finger by yourself?

In some cases, trigger finger resolves itself. You may be able to relieve mild symptoms simply by resting your hand and wearing a splint over the MCP joint in the affected finger for 3 to 6 weeks. But if your symptoms don’t improve or get worse, talk to your healthcare provider. That way, you can get a proper diagnosis and approved treatment options. 

What can you do to prevent trigger finger?

While you may not be able to prevent trigger finger, you can reduce your risk of developing the condition. Remember to take breaks to avoid overuse. And limit activities that put excess stress on your hands and fingers when possible. If you work with your hands, try to make your workspace and any tools you use more ergonomic. For example, if you garden or farm, use pliers with slip-resistant handles. Making these simple changes in your daily life may also lower your chance of getting trigger finger a second time. 

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Written by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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