My Experience with Trigger Thumb

Did you ever have it where your thumb gets locked in a bent position facing towards the palm of your hand and as you try to unlock it and straighten it out with your other hand, the pain is extremely intense? When your thumb locked, you might have heard a clicking, or popping sound with it and/or it may have popped as it straightened back to its original position on its own. If so, it's called trigger thumb.

It happened to me and it took me quite awhile to finally go for a diagnosis and get it treated. As I often do, I hoped it would eventually fix itself, so I wouldn't have to go to the doctor.

I first developed trigger thumb by putting gas in my own car. Here in Arizona, we're allowed to put in our own gas. Since I have OCD - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and one of my fears of contamination is gas, it was a very stressful situation for me. As I pumped my own gas, I stood there tense and full of fear and worry, grasping my hand very tightly on the handle of the gas nozzle causing my finger to lock. After each episode, I would have to unlock my thumb my using my other hand, causing great pain as I did so.

After it happened a few times, I looked up my symptoms on the computer and that's when I realized I had trigger thumb. The more it happened to me, it took longer for me to unbend my thumb, I was in more pain and my thumb started to swell too. The joint of my thumb looked a bit unusual too. Eventually it inhibited my ability to fully use that hand. Supposedly, trigger thumb is caused by the tendon inside the thumb forming a nodule, which cause swelling and then limits the tendons ability to fully extend out, therefore the thumb can't fully extend out either. Triggering most commonly happens in the thumb, long finger and ring finger.¹

I called my primary physician who then gave me a referral to an orthopedic doctor. As soon as I went in for my appointment, the orthopedic doctor diagnosed me as having trigger thumb and proceeded to treat it. All I can say now is that I'm glad I didn't know beforehand how painful the treatment of a steroid shot - cortisone shot would be. They were some of the worst pains I ever felt. The cortisone shot immediately caused my thumb to automatically lock in the bent position again and the pain persisted even as I drove home. Eventually (not too long afterwards) the pain subsided and my thumb went back to its normal position as I guided it to do so. Even though the shot was very painful, it was well worth it because it cured my trigger thumb and I have yet to have the problem again.

As a result of having OCD- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, I still have a fear of gas, so now I go to a full service gas station where the attendants put in the gas for me.

If you ever have trigger thumb, or trigger finger, go to an orthopedic doctor as soon as you can. It's too uncomfortable to suffer with and the cure is well worth it. Early treatment may prevent the need for surgery too.

Source:

1. http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/topic571.htm (Medscape 1994-2011)
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/trigger-finger/DS00155 ( Mayo Foundation 1998-2011)