I hyperextended the MCP on my thumb while doing some random carpentry work. The constant repetitive impact from using a hammer for several hours was too much apparently. The blocking exercise was effective but manually flexing and extending the joint with my other hand was simply incredible. There was a good amount of stiffness and I gently worked it back and forth. Using the other hand to assist was what really helped with the ROM- I swear I could hear the tendon creak! I'm not cured by any stretch* of the imagination - but after 10 minutes of doing these stretches most of the stiffness is gone. Making a fist was absolutely impossible- specifically laying my thumb across the palm over to the pinkie. Now I can gently close it without any real discomfort. This really worked for me. Thank you!
This is the clearest and most helpful video I have found so far. I have had trigger thumb for 3 weeks now and I can't do the exercises my physiotherapist suggested so I'll try these 3 as they are not painful and hope they'll work
thank you SO much for these. My thumb locks up while I'm sleeping and I want to promote blood flow and flexibility. I found relief just doing these while watching this video. Cheers!😄
I watched your other trigger thumb exercises video, then put this one on. My thumb was feeling very slightly "asleep"--that prickly feeling, but very faint. The first exercise, my thumb wanted to pop, but not so much when my other hand was manipulating this. I'll keep trying, and avoiding the popping. Thanks.
Thanks for the practical exercises. I was having trouble extending my thumb this last 3 months, but these last 2 days I developed the traditional trigger thumb symptom as well, and today it’s so painful when I woke up I can’t move it at all. Those first 2 exercises in the video are agony. That last phalange is the problem. I’ve already seen a doctor who gave me a diagnosis but nothing else. I was told it just needed activating.
If it’s causing clicking or triggering please don’t do it! You may need to do it more passively (use the other hand to bend and straighten). Here is a more updated video that might help: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html
For the first stretch, I have success isolating that joint by stretching my thumb up the side of my phone with the joint slightly wrapping the top corner of it. I can wiggle my thumb tip as much as I want without moving any other part of my thumb.
WOW that was effective. I had a trigger thumb and tried that and in less than 20 minutes my thumb is back to normal, no stiffness or pain. Thanks for the wonderful exercise.
I just want to know if I have a trigger thumb. I can't bend it and when I do exercise to my thumb and the middle of my thumb hurts.And I can hear a click.
The stretches will help maintain mobility while the issue is healing, trigger finger is very difficult to get rid of and requires rest, activity modification, avoiding the catching or locking. Ice and stretching can help!
Thank you!! Massage the surrounding muscles, and do some gentle stretches to open the thumb away from the very tight position. When it gets tight/locked in the tight position, gently open it using the other hand.
Thank you for the information.. My daughters age is 3 yrs old... She has trigger thumb disease immediatly after birth. Now her thumb is bent... Doctors advised us for surgery.. Can it be corrected through excersises.. pls guide us...
with trigger thumb in children, it's not usually something that will be corrected with exercises. Sometimes they go away on their own! But sometimes they require surgery.
Thank you for sharing this, very helpful! How long does this trigger thumb last? I have never experienced this before. So weird! Do these exercises help it to go away faster?
Thanks for the video..The 1st stretch even blocking the 2 joints will still click top part of thumb..using the other hand on stretch 2 it bends the tip without clicking..
Yes! As long as you don’t have clicking or locking with them. Additionally here are some stretches that will work for the middle finger: th-cam.com/video/Zvnv_tOheng/w-d-xo.html
Hi, I know that this video was done 5 years ago, I hope you can still respond to my inquiry. I suffer from trigger thumb, and my hand therapist gave me the 1st excercise you showed in your video. It's been 3 months and my thumb still locks and is very painful, At what point should the ailment stop,and that I should opt for a cortisone injection or surgery as a.solution? I really prefer to do the therapy, but if it doesn't get better I don't want to wait for it to get worse. how long should I wait for it to get better?
I would go to the doctor to see what they recommend. Typically if it is not improving with consistent conservative management you may need additional medical management
Ice massage can be really helpful th-cam.com/video/OaWlB9FQyLQ/w-d-xo.html directly over the painful nodule for 1-3 mins (until it goes numb). Also doing cross friction massage can really help th-cam.com/video/s4yZ1cx7lDM/w-d-xo.html good luck with your finger!!
The biggest advice I can give your right now is try to avoid locking as much as possible! use ice (ice massage the painful area or use an ice pack) often and try to keep the finger from locking/triggering. There is no estimated amount of time I can give you as each person is different. However I would recommend doing the stretches and trying to rest for about 4 weeks to see if it improves. But if it starts getting worse, triggering more frequently, getting more stiff, etc, I would get in to see a doctor! It'll usually take 4-6 weeks of consistent rest, ice, stretching, and activity modification to start seeing some improvements (but it can take longer for the pain to completely go away).
hey. I have trigger thumb but the clicking feels like its coming from the top of the first joint nearest the thumb tip. I haven t seen any videos with the swelling on the top. only the bottom. Any clarity would be great. thanks.
Hello, thank you so much I did attempt those but I have a question for you my right thumb it hurts real bad very painful to bend it But it also seems like if I don’t have been to occasionally it is extra extra stiff, so isn’t it a good idea to try to extend it occasionally so it doesn’t get so stiff without moving in that position at all? Thank you so much. B cause there is a lot of traffic inflammation and the nodial is so big😢
Thank you so very much but I have not been able to go see a hand specialist yet because my appointment is way way out but I have a Lotta inflammation and a nodule But it feels like my thumb needs to go into the best position to always be locked up doesn’t seem right Shouldn’t it be put in that lock position all the way for the sake of it going down occasionally, and never going in to the position that comes naturally, even though it does click and trigger shouldn’t be done sometime to keep it from always being in that one position
I have been writting continuously for a long time so for the last few days I feel as if I also got triggered thumb. But, I feel the pain on the back side of the thumb and at the joint shown by the second dot at your hand. So Its painfing if by stretch my thumb back, so the exercise 3 I wasn't able to do. Do it mean something serious or some diff type of triggered thumb?
Yeah, sometimes with trigger thumb you can also have joint pain on the back side of the thumb. It is also typical to have pain or pulling when stretching the thumb back.
@@ForwardTherapy Today at work 3 times I did the spoon / ice procedure. I feel like it 'may' be better. [I did it once before and it was very painful so I never tried it again] I'm going to keep at it. Thank you for freely sharing your knowledge and wonderful smile! I subscribed.
Hiii Mam... I'm from INDIA...I'm unable to bend right hand thumb tip since 5 years... I consulted many doctors but I didn't get solution n treatment... So please help me
Sorry to hear that!! It’s hard for me to make any recommendations without knowing the full story, but I can see how that would be frustrating to not have any suggestions coming from the doctors!!
If my thumb is locking, I should never try to force the bend, is that correct? But instead use the passive by using the other hand to get the movement.
Correct!! You want to avoid locking as much as possible, so doing an exercise and experiencing locking means that isn’t a good exercise for you or you should modify it to prevent locking.
I don't really know if it's trigger thumb but my thumb used to get stuck at the top most joint but now it just cracks regularly, maybe you might know if it's trigger thumb
If it isn’t triggering and it just makes like a joint popping sound, it may just be scar tissue or loose cartilage or soft tissue leftover! If it isn’t painful it usually isn’t harmful.
I've just developed this. My thumb is stuck straight and won't bend. I have pain at the base of my thumb. If I force bend it sticks in the bent position and is very painful. Would a splint brace help or would this waste the muscles and movement is the best course of treatment? I don't know how this injury has come about and whether it's related to prolonged phone usage and texting.
I would probably try to connect with a hand doctor, they could examine you and determine if you might need cortisone or surgical intervention, or if you might be able to try conservative treatment. But sounds like it’s past the oval 8 phase - likely wouldn’t be helpful for you.
Hi, the triggers are in both my left and right thumb (in the first circle drawn from the nail in your illustration), it is kind of locked when bent or locked again when stretched upward and always with pain. Please help. Thanks!
Usually the triggering occurs when you bend the IP joint (the very tip joint) but often the actual nodule is located at the second joint. It can get so severe that it gets stuck or stiff in both positions! Find the nodule (or the swollen bump which is usually painful with pressure), and then cross friction massage!
The blocking stretch eliminated the "triggering" phenomenon. Based on your experience how long will it take for the sourness (I am not feeling any throbbing pain) to go away. I feel the pain especially when I grab & twist something such as a jar lid & also when I compress the bottom thumb joint. Thank you for your advise.
It really depends!! It takes time for repetitive strain injuries to go away, highly dependent on modification of activities to avoid it! Keep stretching, icing, and try to avoid any activities that cause triggering or locking.
Question, why the thumb still be swollen if I have the thumb in a brace? Wouldn't this decrease over a period of time with no use. I'm trying to avoid surgery.
Do you mean the whole thumb is swollen, or just the tendon internally? The swelling actually is in the sheath surrounding the tendon, and over time swelling leaves scar tissue behind. The sheath actually thickens over time.
@@ForwardTherapy Just the tendon. I have two steroid shots; which helped but still triggering once a day. That's when I decided to buy a brace on amazon.
@@tonypolito8930 Yeah! It's because the tendon swelling starts to actually scar - it's a different type of inflammation (not as soft/fluid). It's so tough with the thumb. Brace might help to reduce strain overall (i.e. will help prevent further inflammation)!
@@tonypolito8930 It depends. Always defer to the surgeon, and talk with them about what the considerations are! You don't want to let it go too long because if you wait a long time and the finger gets stiff, you may have permanent stiffness even after surgery. I usually advise people to think about quality of life and pain. If it isn't painful and doesn't get in the way of your everyday life, you might be ok to wait. I can say personally, if I ever had a trigger finger that lasted more than 6 weeks without getting better, I'd choose to have surgery (but that's just my personal opinion, everyone has to make that call for themselves).
Doesn’t work if there’s trigger on thumb,clicks and hurts. I’ll continue with massage at base of thumb and cold therapy as needed, if no relief I’m going to have another surgery…
Hi Sumaira! Trigger thumb in little ones is actually a bit different than in adults. Basically you can wait and see if it gets better, you can ask a hand doctor to recommend splinting to keep the child's thumb straight and get some stretches (basically stretching the thumb straight), or surgery. Here is a helpful website about pediatric trigger thumb: www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/pediatric-trigger-thumb Hope this helps!
@Bakugo Vvvc So I'm not familiar with Diclofenac gel but looks like it's just a pain reliever? Rest will DEFINITELY help, honestly modifying your activities to avoid repetitive use of the thumb is really a HUGE part of the battle in healing trigger thumbs. I would also recommend using ice massage on the painful nodule, and doing cross friction massage on the painful nodule as well (unless you've had a cortisone injection, which you have to be careful about the tendon integrity). Wearing a thumb IP blocking type splint can be helpful th-cam.com/video/6pAbcIsUbIA/w-d-xo.html during daily activities to avoid IP flexion (the tip of the thumb from bending) as well, or you could try taping it like this: th-cam.com/video/HRJZMVmycws/w-d-xo.html to avoid repetitive bending. As for an exact time period, everybody is different so I can't give an exact number of days/weeks. But if it's fairly acute (recently started) and you are successful at letting it rest and modifying your activities to avoid repetitive motions or sustained pinching, I would guess you'll have some relief in the next 6 weeks-2 months.
@Bakugo Vvvc I'm an occupational therapist that specializes in hand therapy, so I only treat patients with shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries! I'm not knowledgable about the feet, I'm sorry. I know there are a lot of great PT videos out there though, I hope you can find what you're looking for! I don't have a professional Instagram set up yet, but I am on Twitter @forward_therapy and I just started a TikTok @forwardtherapy
What about finger i don’t know if it is trigger but it clicks sometimes not every time I bend it but sometimes and pain just very little sometimes no pain and stiff skmetimes
@@ForwardTherapy also for some reason even though I hurt that finger , the same finger on the other hand also feels like that even though I didn’t really use ot
The resting position of our hand is with flexed or relaxed digits and thumb, they tend to bend at night while we sleep! So that positioning, in addition to not stretching or moving for several hours while sleeping, contribute to the stiffness or locking.
Thank you for this! My thumb started cracking every time I bent it. Sounded like the beginning of trigger thumb...do I start the stretches right away? I've been resting it for about a week now. When do you begin stretching?
Yeah I would start stretching! If you notice that actively bending the tip of the thumb causes triggering, I’d recommend passive stretching (which means using the other hand to bend the thumb joint). The key is keeping it totally relaxed so it doesn’t click!! Also I recommend forearm stretches like these: th-cam.com/video/CNbd4SgNqgo/w-d-xo.html
@@ForwardTherapy Hi Kelly thank you so much for your response. When I actively bend the tip of the thumb joint it does will crack. Gently doing it myself with my other hand gives off a little pop but no sound so I guess that's good. And it's funny that you mention the forearm exercises. I developed some tennis and golfers elbow last year because I work in marketing and I'm on the computer a lot. It's been a lot better though but I am just wondering if the trigger thumb is a result of stiff forearms too? Have a great week! PS. Is it okay if my thumb and thumb muscles are sore after these stretches? (the thumb stretches)
It’s ok to be sore, but it shouldn’t click or pop during the stretches. Every time the nodule clicks it irritates the tissue and increased the inflammation! So be careful. If we’re off balance or tight further up the arm, it can cause us to get into weird movement patterns down below so sometimes it helps to work from the shoulder, elbow, down to the hand and make sure everything is loose and in alignment
@@ForwardTherapy Thank you for the info. If it continues clicking or popping during the stretches what would you suggest I do for now? I have currently been resting my thumb for about a week so far. I spoke to my doctor who suggested rest and anti-inflammatories. I haven't taken the medication yet.
@@ForwardTherapy really I’m not sure. It won’t get better. I have a mallet splint and it just won’t get better. I’m going to do stretches routinely now that I saw this
@@theseacher6137 If you have a. mallet finger injury, don't do these stretches! but if you have a trigger thumb, these stretches and this video might help: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html
So I can do all those fine.. but it triggers threw ever stretch, is that ok? Im asking cause another vid Iwatched said dont let it catch n pop while your streching.
wow the one at 2:55 took a lot of the pain away ... Thanks!!
I hyperextended the MCP on my thumb while doing some random carpentry work. The constant repetitive impact from using a hammer for several hours was too much apparently. The blocking exercise was effective but manually flexing and extending the joint with my other hand was simply incredible. There was a good amount of stiffness and I gently worked it back and forth. Using the other hand to assist was what really helped with the ROM- I swear I could hear the tendon creak!
I'm not cured by any stretch* of the imagination - but after 10 minutes of doing these stretches most of the stiffness is gone. Making a fist was absolutely impossible- specifically laying my thumb across the palm over to the pinkie. Now I can gently close it without any real discomfort.
This really worked for me. Thank you!
Very useful for my trigger thumb. Has been helping a lot.
Thank you!!! I was going crazy about my thumb!! just the stretching relieved me of the pain.. 😭😭😭
I’m so happy!!! Glad to hear it.
This is the clearest and most helpful video I have found so far. I have had trigger thumb for 3 weeks now and I can't do the exercises my physiotherapist suggested so I'll try these 3 as they are not painful and hope they'll work
I’m glad!! Here’s an updated video that might be even better: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html bear of luck!
thank you SO much for these. My thumb locks up while I'm sleeping and I want to promote blood flow and flexibility. I found relief just doing these while watching this video. Cheers!😄
I watched your other trigger thumb exercises video, then put this one on.
My thumb was feeling very slightly "asleep"--that prickly feeling, but very faint.
The first exercise, my thumb wanted to pop, but not so much when my other hand was manipulating this.
I'll keep trying, and avoiding the popping.
Thanks.
Omg Thank You Sooo much!!! These stretches totally helped my thumb FEEL SOOO SOOO MUCH BETTER!!! Thank You Again 💯💯
I'm so glad!! (: That's amazing!
Super helpful for my trigger thumb. Thanks so much!
I hope it helps!
Wow..amazing!!!..really helped..Thanks so much..
Thanx for helpful tips 😅💕
Thanks for the practical exercises. I was having trouble extending my thumb this last 3 months, but these last 2 days I developed the traditional trigger thumb symptom as well, and today it’s so painful when I woke up I can’t move it at all. Those first 2 exercises in the video are agony. That last phalange is the problem. I’ve already seen a doctor who gave me a diagnosis but nothing else. I was told it just needed activating.
If it’s causing clicking or triggering please don’t do it! You may need to do it more passively (use the other hand to bend and straighten). Here is a more updated video that might help: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html
I was able to move all fingers properly after these 3 exercises Thank you!
That's awesome!!
Very helpful. Thank you very much, dear.
For the first stretch, I have success isolating that joint by stretching my thumb up the side of my phone with the joint slightly wrapping the top corner of it. I can wiggle my thumb tip as much as I want without moving any other part of my thumb.
Thank you. Clear instruction.
These are great! Thanks for making this!
Thank you so much!!! I appreciate that!
WOW that was effective. I had a trigger thumb and tried that and in less than 20 minutes my thumb is back to normal, no stiffness or pain. Thanks for the wonderful exercise.
That’s fantastic!!! Keep working on it, over time it should help!
It still hurts,but i feel a bit of comfort doing the thumb exercise...thank u so much
I just want to know if I have a trigger thumb. I can't bend it and when I do exercise to my thumb and the middle of my thumb hurts.And I can hear a click.
Thanks so much really seems to help
great job
Do these excercises help remove ore prevent it from worsening??
The stretches will help maintain mobility while the issue is healing, trigger finger is very difficult to get rid of and requires rest, activity modification, avoiding the catching or locking. Ice and stretching can help!
Wow, you are absolutely amazing, thank you. My thumb would close very tight in a certain position. What would you advise?
Thank you!! Massage the surrounding muscles, and do some gentle stretches to open the thumb away from the very tight position. When it gets tight/locked in the tight position, gently open it using the other hand.
@@ForwardTherapy Thank you so much! You are so quick to respond. I would certainly do that.
Thank you for the information.. My daughters age is 3 yrs old... She has trigger thumb disease immediatly after birth. Now her thumb is bent... Doctors advised us for surgery.. Can it be corrected through excersises.. pls guide us...
with trigger thumb in children, it's not usually something that will be corrected with exercises. Sometimes they go away on their own! But sometimes they require surgery.
Thank you for sharing this, very helpful! How long does this trigger thumb last? I have never experienced this before. So weird! Do these exercises help it to go away faster?
It can help the finger get better! Everyone is different, but it can be very pervasive and last several months, sometimes needing surgery.
My thumb is fracture and treatment is k wire fixation but my thumb ip joint not moving plz solusion this problem tel me from India Punjab
Thanks for the video..The 1st stretch even blocking the 2 joints will still click top part of thumb..using the other hand on stretch 2 it bends the tip without clicking..
Don’t do any stretch that causes clicking!
Hi! Very informative video. Can these stretches also apply for trigger middle fingers?
Yes! As long as you don’t have clicking or locking with them. Additionally here are some stretches that will work for the middle finger: th-cam.com/video/Zvnv_tOheng/w-d-xo.html
My thumb locks up at the top joint. Is this still trigger thumb and is this still the exercises I should be doing to help it?
Yep! Sounds like a trigger thumb!
Hi, I know that this video was done 5 years ago, I hope you can still respond to my inquiry. I suffer from trigger thumb, and my hand therapist gave me the 1st excercise you showed in your video. It's been 3 months and my thumb still locks and is very painful, At what point should the ailment stop,and that I should opt for a cortisone injection or surgery as a.solution? I really prefer to do the therapy, but if it doesn't get better I don't want to wait for it to get worse. how long should I wait for it to get better?
I would go to the doctor to see what they recommend. Typically if it is not improving with consistent conservative management you may need additional medical management
Excellent
Thanks for the stretches! I have a question on the swelling of the tendon that is triggering. How should I get swelling down?
Ice massage can be really helpful th-cam.com/video/OaWlB9FQyLQ/w-d-xo.html directly over the painful nodule for 1-3 mins (until it goes numb). Also doing cross friction massage can really help th-cam.com/video/s4yZ1cx7lDM/w-d-xo.html good luck with your finger!!
I've been experiencing trigger thumb for about 3 weeks now. If I do these exercises, how long before I recover? Or should I see my doctor now?
The biggest advice I can give your right now is try to avoid locking as much as possible! use ice (ice massage the painful area or use an ice pack) often and try to keep the finger from locking/triggering. There is no estimated amount of time I can give you as each person is different. However I would recommend doing the stretches and trying to rest for about 4 weeks to see if it improves. But if it starts getting worse, triggering more frequently, getting more stiff, etc, I would get in to see a doctor! It'll usually take 4-6 weeks of consistent rest, ice, stretching, and activity modification to start seeing some improvements (but it can take longer for the pain to completely go away).
hey. I have trigger thumb but the clicking feels like its coming from the top of the first joint nearest the thumb tip. I haven t seen any videos with the swelling on the top. only the bottom. Any clarity would be great. thanks.
Usually the clicking occurs when you bend the top joint, but the actual tendon swelling is down near the palm.
This helpfull but i want to know did ice make tendon relaxed or for anti inflamation?
Anti inflammatory. Helps to clear out extra swelling in the area!! Heat helps the tendon to relax/stretch farther
Thank you ❤️🙏
Hello, thank you so much I did attempt those but I have a question for you my right thumb it hurts real bad very painful to bend it
But it also seems like if I don’t have been to occasionally it is extra extra stiff, so isn’t it a good idea to try to extend it occasionally so it doesn’t get so stiff without moving in that position at all? Thank you so much.
B cause there is a lot of traffic inflammation and the nodial is so big😢
Yes. You should stretch it frequently to prevent stiffness!
Thank you so very much but I have not been able to go see a hand specialist yet because my appointment is way way out but I have a Lotta inflammation and a nodule
But it feels like my thumb needs to go into the best position to always be locked up doesn’t seem right
Shouldn’t it be put in that lock position all the way for the sake of it going down occasionally, and never going in to the position that comes naturally, even though it does click and trigger shouldn’t be done sometime to keep it from always being in that one position
I have been writting continuously for a long time so for the last few days I feel as if I also got triggered thumb.
But, I feel the pain on the back side of the thumb and at the joint shown by the second dot at your hand.
So Its painfing if by stretch my thumb back, so the exercise 3 I wasn't able to do.
Do it mean something serious or some diff type of triggered thumb?
Yeah, sometimes with trigger thumb you can also have joint pain on the back side of the thumb. It is also typical to have pain or pulling when stretching the thumb back.
This issue is a real pain. Thanks for the info!
It is!! Good luck with everything, I hope it feels better soon!
@@ForwardTherapy Today at work 3 times I did the spoon / ice procedure. I feel like it 'may' be better.
[I did it once before and it was very painful so I never tried it again]
I'm going to keep at it.
Thank you for freely sharing your knowledge and wonderful smile! I subscribed.
I hope it’s helping!! It can be painful for sure especially when you’re flared up or very symptomatic
thank you. it does feel better...
I’m so glad to hear that!!
Hiii Mam... I'm from INDIA...I'm unable to bend right hand thumb tip since 5 years... I consulted many doctors but I didn't get solution n treatment... So please help me
Sorry to hear that!! It’s hard for me to make any recommendations without knowing the full story, but I can see how that would be frustrating to not have any suggestions coming from the doctors!!
If my thumb is locking, I should never try to force the bend, is that correct? But instead use the passive by using the other hand to get the movement.
Correct!! You want to avoid locking as much as possible, so doing an exercise and experiencing locking means that isn’t a good exercise for you or you should modify it to prevent locking.
@@ForwardTherapy Thanks so much for the prompt feedback.
Thank you. How often do you recommend doing the stretches? I have had one injection which helped for a while.
Helps to stretch a few times throughout the day, 5-10 reps
Useful stretch
Thank you! Glad it helps!
I don't really know if it's trigger thumb but my thumb used to get stuck at the top most joint but now it just cracks regularly, maybe you might know if it's trigger thumb
If it isn’t triggering and it just makes like a joint popping sound, it may just be scar tissue or loose cartilage or soft tissue leftover! If it isn’t painful it usually isn’t harmful.
I've just developed this. My thumb is stuck straight and won't bend. I have pain at the base of my thumb. If I force bend it sticks in the bent position and is very painful. Would a splint brace help or would this waste the muscles and movement is the best course of treatment? I don't know how this injury has come about and whether it's related to prolonged phone usage and texting.
I would probably try to connect with a hand doctor, they could examine you and determine if you might need cortisone or surgical intervention, or if you might be able to try conservative treatment. But sounds like it’s past the oval 8 phase - likely wouldn’t be helpful for you.
Thank u.
Hi, the triggers are in both my left and right thumb (in the first circle drawn from the nail in your illustration), it is kind of locked when bent or locked again when stretched upward and always with pain. Please help. Thanks!
Usually the triggering occurs when you bend the IP joint (the very tip joint) but often the actual nodule is located at the second joint. It can get so severe that it gets stuck or stiff in both positions! Find the nodule (or the swollen bump which is usually painful with pressure), and then cross friction massage!
Awesome Thank you
The blocking stretch eliminated the "triggering" phenomenon. Based on your experience how long will it take for the sourness (I am not feeling any throbbing pain) to go away. I feel the pain especially when I grab & twist something such as a jar lid & also when I compress the bottom thumb joint. Thank you for your advise.
It really depends!! It takes time for repetitive strain injuries to go away, highly dependent on modification of activities to avoid it! Keep stretching, icing, and try to avoid any activities that cause triggering or locking.
Question, why the thumb still be swollen if I have the thumb in a brace? Wouldn't this decrease over a period of time with no use. I'm trying to avoid surgery.
Do you mean the whole thumb is swollen, or just the tendon internally? The swelling actually is in the sheath surrounding the tendon, and over time swelling leaves scar tissue behind. The sheath actually thickens over time.
@@ForwardTherapy Just the tendon. I have two steroid shots; which helped but still triggering once a day. That's when I decided to buy a brace on amazon.
@@tonypolito8930 Yeah! It's because the tendon swelling starts to actually scar - it's a different type of inflammation (not as soft/fluid). It's so tough with the thumb. Brace might help to reduce strain overall (i.e. will help prevent further inflammation)!
@@ForwardTherapy I understand, thank you. So then when would a patient know to pull the trigger and opt for surgery?
@@tonypolito8930 It depends. Always defer to the surgeon, and talk with them about what the considerations are! You don't want to let it go too long because if you wait a long time and the finger gets stiff, you may have permanent stiffness even after surgery. I usually advise people to think about quality of life and pain. If it isn't painful and doesn't get in the way of your everyday life, you might be ok to wait. I can say personally, if I ever had a trigger finger that lasted more than 6 weeks without getting better, I'd choose to have surgery (but that's just my personal opinion, everyone has to make that call for themselves).
thank you so much
You’re welcome! I hope it helps ):
Meant to type a smiley face, (: not a sad face! Sorry about that!
While extension of thumb there is difficulty and krackling sound
Uh oh!! Could be a trigger thumb? Is there a nodule that you can feel (a bump?)
Thank you, trying to prevent surgery. R Thumb has a trigger. Had 2 steroid shots, which helped but still not 100% Going to try this method.
Best of luck!!! Trigger thumbs are really tricky.
My thumb don't moving backwards and not gettin straight, some slights movements are possible
But its painless
Sounds like it might be a good time to check in with a doctor!
@@ForwardTherapy haha, not now
Your exercise helped me, it is normal now
I did your exercise for abt 45 min and it is fine now
Thanku very much
Oh! That’s awesome! Keep it up because it will probably come back, but over time you’ll chip away at it!!
Doesn’t work if there’s trigger on thumb,clicks and hurts. I’ll continue with massage at base of thumb and cold therapy as needed, if no relief I’m going to have another surgery…
Thanx 😍
Thank you! Hope it helps!
What can b done in case of a child below 2 year
Hi Sumaira! Trigger thumb in little ones is actually a bit different than in adults. Basically you can wait and see if it gets better, you can ask a hand doctor to recommend splinting to keep the child's thumb straight and get some stretches (basically stretching the thumb straight), or surgery. Here is a helpful website about pediatric trigger thumb: www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/pediatric-trigger-thumb
Hope this helps!
@@ForwardTherapy thnx
@Bakugo Vvvc So I'm not familiar with Diclofenac gel but looks like it's just a pain reliever? Rest will DEFINITELY help, honestly modifying your activities to avoid repetitive use of the thumb is really a HUGE part of the battle in healing trigger thumbs. I would also recommend using ice massage on the painful nodule, and doing cross friction massage on the painful nodule as well (unless you've had a cortisone injection, which you have to be careful about the tendon integrity). Wearing a thumb IP blocking type splint can be helpful th-cam.com/video/6pAbcIsUbIA/w-d-xo.html during daily activities to avoid IP flexion (the tip of the thumb from bending) as well, or you could try taping it like this: th-cam.com/video/HRJZMVmycws/w-d-xo.html to avoid repetitive bending. As for an exact time period, everybody is different so I can't give an exact number of days/weeks. But if it's fairly acute (recently started) and you are successful at letting it rest and modifying your activities to avoid repetitive motions or sustained pinching, I would guess you'll have some relief in the next 6 weeks-2 months.
@Bakugo Vvvc I'm an occupational therapist that specializes in hand therapy, so I only treat patients with shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries! I'm not knowledgable about the feet, I'm sorry. I know there are a lot of great PT videos out there though, I hope you can find what you're looking for! I don't have a professional Instagram set up yet, but I am on Twitter @forward_therapy and I just started a TikTok @forwardtherapy
How this exercise for 15 mnth baby
Would speak with the pediatrician!
What about finger i don’t know if it is trigger but it clicks sometimes not every time I bend it but sometimes and pain just very little sometimes no pain and stiff skmetimes
Does it feel like there’s a nodule (lump) in the palm at the base of the finger?
@@ForwardTherapy well I’ve had something like that for like 4 years and only felt pain jn my finger now so yeah
@@ForwardTherapy also for some reason even though I hurt that finger , the same finger on the other hand also feels like that even though I didn’t really use ot
It can happen on any finger at any time. It could also be Dupuytren’s disease!
@@ForwardTherapy ok also, when I bend my thumb and release it I can visually see something move should I be worried
Trigger thumb is a new problem for me. It seems to be worst when I wake up in the morning. Why should that be?
The resting position of our hand is with flexed or relaxed digits and thumb, they tend to bend at night while we sleep! So that positioning, in addition to not stretching or moving for several hours while sleeping, contribute to the stiffness or locking.
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Thank you for this! My thumb started cracking every time I bent it. Sounded like the beginning of trigger thumb...do I start the stretches right away? I've been resting it for about a week now. When do you begin stretching?
I should note the part of the thumb that cracks is the top joint!
Yeah I would start stretching! If you notice that actively bending the tip of the thumb causes triggering, I’d recommend passive stretching (which means using the other hand to bend the thumb joint). The key is keeping it totally relaxed so it doesn’t click!! Also I recommend forearm stretches like these: th-cam.com/video/CNbd4SgNqgo/w-d-xo.html
@@ForwardTherapy Hi Kelly thank you so much for your response. When I actively bend the tip of the thumb joint it does will crack. Gently doing it myself with my other hand gives off a little pop but no sound so I guess that's good. And it's funny that you mention the forearm exercises. I developed some tennis and golfers elbow last year because I work in marketing and I'm on the computer a lot. It's been a lot better though but I am just wondering if the trigger thumb is a result of stiff forearms too? Have a great week! PS. Is it okay if my thumb and thumb muscles are sore after these stretches? (the thumb stretches)
It’s ok to be sore, but it shouldn’t click or pop during the stretches. Every time the nodule clicks it irritates the tissue and increased the inflammation! So be careful. If we’re off balance or tight further up the arm, it can cause us to get into weird movement patterns down below so sometimes it helps to work from the shoulder, elbow, down to the hand and make sure everything is loose and in alignment
@@ForwardTherapy Thank you for the info. If it continues clicking or popping during the stretches what would you suggest I do for now? I have currently been resting my thumb for about a week so far. I spoke to my doctor who suggested rest and anti-inflammatories. I haven't taken the medication yet.
My thumb is stuck I woke up with my thumb stuck help😭
Oh no! This video should help: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html
I need help. My thumb won’t get better. Aaaaaahhhhhh.....
Oh no!! I’m so sorry!! What’s going on?!
@@ForwardTherapy really I’m not sure. It won’t get better. I have a mallet splint and it just won’t get better. I’m going to do stretches routinely now that I saw this
@@theseacher6137 If you have a. mallet finger injury, don't do these stretches! but if you have a trigger thumb, these stretches and this video might help: th-cam.com/video/Vo13RbtfOy0/w-d-xo.html
So I can do all those fine.. but it triggers threw ever stretch, is that ok? Im asking cause another vid Iwatched said dont let it catch n pop while your streching.
Don’t let it catch with exercise - if it catches you shouldn’t do that specific exercise