Impact Chiropractic specializes in care for patients suffering from various health conditions, including the trigger finger. This condition is fairly common and can hinder hand functions and cause pain and popping or locking sensations within the affected digit. Luckily, our personalized treatment can help reduce the symptoms and allow patients to live a more comfortable life.
We have expert chiropractors in Loveland and Fort Collins with the knowledge and experience to restore mobility and relieve pain using non-invasive techniques. You don’t need to undergo risky surgeries or take potent medication. Our natural approach offers an effective solution to your pain.
Trigger Finger Explained
Also known as stenosing tenosynovitis, this well-known condition can affect any finger, including the thumb. When inflammation compresses the sheath surrounding the digit, the tendon can’t glide smoothly, and it is essentially stuck in a flexed or bent position.
The tendon sheath can grow lumps or become swollen, making it difficult to move, as the finger will “lock” or “pop.” Even though this condition can affect any digit, it’s most common in the ring and middle fingers or the thumb.
Symptoms of Trigger Finger:
- Limited movement and stiffness.
- “Clicking” or “popping” when moving the affected digit.
- The finger might “lock” into place and snap suddenly when trying to straighten it out.
- Bumps or tenderness at the base located on the palm’s side.
Main Causes of Trigger Finger
Repetitive motions of overuse usually cause the thickening and inflammation of the tendon sheath. However, some other causes might lead to this issue:
- Pre-existing conditions affecting the finger or wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome).
- Actions requiring repetitive movements and gripping (Sports equipment, tools, musical instruments, etc.).
- Pre-existing conditions that lead to tendon issues like diabetes.
- Inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
The professionals at Impact Chiropractic evaluate your whole body and any underlying conditions associated with the trigger finger. We address all causes and symptoms by examining sports injuries, neck tension, poor posture, and musculoskeletal conditions.
How Chiropractors at Impact Chiropractic Diagnose Trigger Finger
When a patient comes in with this issue, we start by examining the affected finger and hand during the first visit. Our expert chiropractors treat trigger finger by assessing all the muscles, joints, and tendons involved with the affected area to determine how severe the condition is.
We will also determine, identify, and evaluate whether other symptoms, like stiffness, tenderness, and swelling, affect the patient’s ability to move.
After successfully diagnosing the problem and its severity, our chiropractors will offer a personalized treatment plan to prevent the condition’s progress, relieve pain, and restore mobility.
Not only can we help treat the affected with personalized care, but we will also offer recommendations and treatment for any related issues affecting your overall wellness.
How Our Chiropractors Treat Trigger Finger
This type of treatment for trigger finger is drug-free and non-invasive. Impact Chiropractic offers advanced techniques and therapies that help restore full mobility, reduce inflammation, and improve healing. Here are some of the most common techniques we use:
The Graston Technique
This non-invasive, alternative, and innovative procedure can replace surgery and injections for various conditions, including the trigger finger. It involves the use of multiple specialized tools made out of stainless steel.
The tools break down fascial restrictions and scar tissue within the tendon sheath. This technique improves healing, reduces inflammation, and promotes circulation within the affected finger. The Graston technique is very effective with patients who have scar tissue.
Active Release Therapy
This therapy is another non-invasive manual approach our chiropractors use to fix tendon and muscle adhesions. This technique breaks down any built-up mass within the tendons, releasing the finger and improving finger movement.
ART can remove the tension and reduce stiffness and pain in the affected finger. This technique effectively removes the adhesions/fibrosis developed due to repetitive use, making it especially effective for patients who overuse their fingers.
Therapeutic Ultrasound
Ultrasound therapy is a mechanical technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to penetrate soft tissues, promote healing, and reduce pain. These sound waves improve blood flow in the targeted area and can accelerate the recovery process overall while reducing all symptoms.
Heat Treatment
This treatment can alleviate stiffness and improve the mobility of trigger digits. It’s a simple but effective treatment in which paraffin wax or a wet heating pad is applied to the affected area. Patients can feel instant relief and regain better function. However, this isn’t a permanent solution, but it can deliver good results over longer periods.
Why Consider Chiropractic Care Over Surgery
This type of therapy and treatment options are non-invasive and can be great surgery alternatives. As experienced chiropractors, we aim to deliver successful trigger finger treatment while reducing any risks and side effects associated with the recovery. Trigger finger surgery is expensive, risky, and requires lengthy recovery with strict control.
We offer non-invasive treatment with the goal of:
- Improving mobility and allowing our patients to continue with their regular activities.
- Getting back the full hand function.
- Reducing pain and inflammation naturally.
Trigger Finger Exercises Recommended by Chiropractors
Apart from manual therapies, we offer personalized exercise plans that strengthen key hand muscles, improve mobility, and prevent the risk of future issues. We try to help our patients regain their fully functional state while giving them the tools necessary to prevent a recurrence.
Our chiropractors will carefully guide you and teach essential exercises that gently help stretch key tendons, allowing more flexibility in the affected hand.
Exercises we Recommend:
- We recommend a wide range of finger exercises and stretches like finger bends, finger extensor stretches, tendon gliding, finger lifts, finger spreads, etc.
- We help patients regain their strength using grip strengtheners or softballs.
- We offer many wrist stretches to reduce tension in tendons and promote mobility.
Personalized Treatment Plans for Everyone
Every patient is different, so we approach each one individually and create custom-tailored plans based on the diagnosis, lifestyle, and symptoms.
With Impact Chiropractic, you can expect a treatment plan that combines lifestyle changes, exercises, and manual therapies to prevent recurring issues and guarantee optimal recovery.
We also consider other conditions like sports injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, or knee pain to deliver the best possible treatment plan.
How we Help Prevent Trigger Finger Recurrence
At Impact Chiropractic, we believe that prevention is one of the most essential steps that healthcare providers often overlook. We want to help patients understand their problem, solve it, and ensure they never have to deal with it again. Here’s how we can help you improve your long-term health:
- We provide our patients with regular chiropractic adjustments to the whole body to ensure proper posture and alignment, reducing the chance of injuries or developing conditions.
- We offer guidance on lifestyle choices, body mechanics, and correct posture to help patients reduce the strain they put on their tendons and ensure optimal mobility.
- We encourage our patients to be proactive and adopt important stretches and exercises that will ensure proper balance, strength, and flexibility within their wrists and hands.
Conclusion
We understand how frustrating and painful your life can be with a trigger finger. However, this problem doesn’t have to be permanent. With the latest non-invasive methods, you can rely on Impact Chiropractic to get personalized, careful, and effective treatment for this condition.
We offer the Graston technique, active release, customized exercises, and correct lifestyle adjustments that will help you eliminate the pain in your finger and regain your full mobility. Contact us today, and let us pave the way to recovery!
