Do You Have an Odd Malady?

#1

I have experienced a rather odd malady in the past few years. It is called “trigger finger.”
The malady is this: when I wake up in the morning, one of my fingers is sore and very stiff. When you attempt to bend the finger, it snaps to the end position; there is no smooth bending.

The first time it happened was about three years ago. It was a sudden onset, not a gradual change. It occurred in the middle finger of my right hand. After a few months, it gradually went away, and that finger is now okay.

About 3 weeks ago, it suddenly reappeared in the ring finger of my left hand. When I wake up in the morning, my left hand is in a fist, and I can not open the left index finger. I have to pry it open with the other hand. It is pretty painful and goes away at the end of the day, only to rinse and repeat.

I bought trigger finger splints from Amazon. They are splints that hold the finger straight during the night. This has been of no help. Using the splints, I wake up with a painful straight finger, which I have to bend for the first time with my other hand.

It is suggested that it might be arthritis. But, if this is so, why did my right middle finger cure itself, and why did it occur again on the ring finger of my left hand? I don’t feel like I have arthritis in my hands. The other fingers are all working normally, and I do not have any enlarged or swollen joints on either hand.

What could be causing this?
From ChatGPT:

“Short answer: what you’re describing is classic “trigger finger” (medical name: stenosing flexor tenosynovitis). It isn’t primarily joint arthritis; it’s a tendon-sheath bottleneck at the A1 pulley in the palm that makes the flexor tendon catch and then “snap” through—often worst on waking and easing up as the day goes on.”

“What tends to cause or predispose it
Age; repetitive grip/pinch or tool use; and medical conditions like diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypothyroidism, gout, and sometimes coexisting carpal tunnel syndrome. Many cases are still “idiopathic” (no single clear trigger finger cause).”

In my case, I am sure it is due to repetitive grip use. My entire time at the gym, except for the time between sets, is spent using a firm grip either on machines or on weights.

I will try to relax my grip somewhat and see if that helps.

Is anyone else experiencing an odd malady?

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#2

I have this. Mostly in my left little finger and sometimes right middle finger. No clear cause - it just appeared and has waxed and waned on its severity over the past some years.

But it’s exactly as described, and much worse in the AM, I might need to force it open with my other hand - which is painful!

I have found the best aid for me wasn’t splints but rather these small elastic tubes like Ace bandages that fit over the finger. Also from Amazon, and inexpensive. They allow some flexibility but prevent a full bend. I thought they worked very well, though it’s helpful to stretch them out (I force over two fingers for a while) otherwise they can cut off the circulation in the finger too much.

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#3

I may have a form of tenosynovitis in a different area of my hands/wrist called De Quervain‘s. I was diagnosed with it at the end of 2022 but now I’m considering getting an X-ray to rule out osteoarthritis which I just mentioned in another thread. It’s really just an annoyance but if I’m planning to shoot for living at least 45 more years I’d like to heal whatever is going on if possible. Hahaha

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