Shop
Trigger finger Exercises
Body Part:
Hands & Fingers
Equipment:
Mini Foam Roller
Level:
Beginner
Relieve Trigger Finger With Our 4-Minute Exercise Routine
Have you ever gone to shake someone’s hand and realised that one of your fingers looked like it was gripping the handle of a teacup? Or maybe you’ve noticed that your ring finger is sneakily trying to make the “OK” gesture? That’s a job for your index finger! If your fingers or thumbs are sticking in a curled position, you may have developed a case of trigger finger.
Trigger finger, which your doctor calls stenosing tenosynovitis, is a condition where your fingers or thumbs freeze in a bent position as if you were pulling the trigger on a gun. When you try to straighten or bend the affected finger, you may hear a popping sound. According to a recent study, trigger finger is one of the most common causes of hand pain and dysfunction.1)
What Causes Trigger Finger?
Sometimes, the cause of trigger finger is unknown. However, trigger finger can be brought on by repeated hand movements, especially if the action requires you to use your fingers and thumbs with a lot of force (like gripping an object). Repeated, forceful hand movements can inflame your flexor tendons. The flexor tendons, which run from your forearm into your hands, help your fingers contract and flex. They pass through a tendon sheath in your hands, which goes from your mid-palm to your fingertips. Flexor tendons should glide freely through the tendon sheath. If a tendon becomes swollen or inflamed, it can’t move as easily as it should through the tendon sheath. This is where the popping sound or snapping sensation comes from: an enlarged tendon pushing through a narrow sheath.
Trigger finger is most common in the ring finger and thumbs, but the condition doesn’t discriminate. It can happen in any finger, in more than one finger at a time, and in both hands at the same time.
What Are the Symptoms of Trigger Finger?
Signs that you may have trigger finger are:
- pain or stiffness in your finger or thumb, especially first thing in the morning (a trigger finger tends to become more agile throughout the day),
- a sore or tender feeling at the base of your finger or thumb,
- a snapping or popping sound when you move your finger or thumb,
- a clicking sensation when you move your finger or thumb,
- a finger that locks in a bent position and snaps straight (or doesn’t straighten),
- a small protrusion from your palm at the base of your finger or thumb (this is called a nodule).
We’ve developed a 4-minute stretching routine that can help you treat trigger finger. All you need is our mini foam roller. Check out our video or the step-by-step instructions below so you can get your fingers and thumbs to stop the pop.
Fight Pain with Information.
Subscribe to The Pain Relief Advisor
Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.
Your Personal Pain Scale
While you are exercising, pay attention to your personal pain scale. This is your body's gauge that measures the intensity at which you exercise from 1 to 10.
One would be like pushing your finger into your forehead. You'd feel a little pressure, but that's it. You've gone above a 10 if your breathing becomes irregular or you feel yourself tense up. For each exercise, aim for an intensity between 8 and 9. If you find that you are experiencing pain that's higher than 9, reduce the intensity so you can continue exercising without pain.
For our Trigger Finger Exercises, we recommend using our mini foam roller. Visit our shop to get yours.
Buy the mini foam rollerTrigger Finger Exercises Step-By-Step
Exercise 1: Hand & Forearm Foam Roll
- Grab your mini foam roller.
- Starting position: get down on your hands and knees with your fingers flat.
- Place the min foam roller under the tip of your affected finger.
- Place your free hand on top of your affected hand. Using as much force as you can, press your fingers into the roller.
- Slowly roll in the direction of your elbow.
- Maintain consistently high pressure by pressing with your free hand as you roll.
- Roll for about 1 minute.
- When you reach your elbow, you’re done.
- Repeat.
Exercise 2: Trigger Finger Stretch
- Starting position: get down on your hands and knees. Make sure your fingers are closed.
- Rotate your hand with the trigger finger outward until your fingers are pointing towards your knee.
- Lock your elbow and move your upper body backwards until you feel a stretch in your wrist up through your forearm.
- Keep moving backwards until you reach between 8 and 9 on your personal pain scale. You may end up sitting on your heels.
- Press your palm as forcefully as you can against the floor.
- Hold the position for about 1 minute.
- Release the pressure by imagining that you’re lifting your fingers off of the floor — but do not actually lift your fingers from the floor.
- Slide the index finger of your opposite hand under the tip of your affected finger. Gently lift it as high off the floor as you can.
- Using as much force as you can, press your trigger finger against the index finger that’s lifting it.
- Hold for about 1 minute.
- Slowly leave the position and shake out your hand.
All the Fingers Straight: Turn Your Bent Finger to a Normal Finger
Give our trigger finger exercise routine a shot 6 days a week for 2 weeks. When the pain in your affected digits begins to subside, continue exercising 5 days a week to prevent trigger finger from coming back.
Sources & Studies
- ↑1 Matthews, A., Smith, K., Read, L., Nicholas, J., & Schmidt, E. (2019). Trigger finger: An overview of the treatment options. JAAPA : official journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, 32(1), 17–21. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.JAA.0000550281.42592.97.
Fight Pain with Information.
Subscribe to The Pain Relief Advisor
Sign up for our free newsletter and discover how to manage your pain yourself. Every two weeks, we’ll deliver follow-along videos and articles to your inbox.
Did this contribution help you?
Then we would be happy if you shared it with your friends: