Anyone have "Trigger Finger" surgery/injections before?

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Any fellow golfers reading this ever have "trigger finger" before, where a certain finger normally gets locked in a closed position and it's painful to pop it back out. Apparently this is a fairly common condition. Turns out I have it in my left hand ring finger, and I have a doctor's appointment next week to start dealing with it. It is near impossible to hold a golf club at the moment, and if I manage to get my hand solidly on the grip, the pain usually picks up intensity on my downswing, altering my swing plane drastically. In other words, this must be dealt with quickly so my golfing life doesn't get affected. Treatments consist of either corticosteroid injections or simple outpatient surgery, depending on what the doctor says.

 

If this is as common as they say, odds are someone here who plays golf had this before since there are A LOT of members. If anyone had trigger finger treatment -- injections or surgery -- did it resolve the problem and were you able to continue playing golf at max level? How long did recovery take?

 

This started happening 4 months ago; I should have dealt with it over the winter. Now it got so bad I must deal with it now. It was a disaster at the driving range yesterday, the pain was excruciating!

 

Anyway, I believe it was Patrick Henry who said "Give me golf or give me death!" That's how I feel, lol.

 

Brian

[smiley9929]

My dad - an avid golfer - had this ailment about 6-7 years back. He tried the injections without much relief and ended up having the outpatient surgery and hasn't had any issues over the past 5 years or so.

Best of luck to you with getting some relief and getting back to the course!

[xxio]

My dad has had in in 3 fingers (2 rh, 1 lh). Injections only prolonged dealing with them. On the 3rd finger he had the surgery done right away. It was only an outpatient procedure. 2weeks later he was playing again.

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Boy am I glad I posted this!!! I didn't know what to expect. Golf is my life, and it hurts like hell to handle a club right now. I feel better now. Thx!!!!

Brian

[llewol007]

I had that exact thing happen to me while playing basketball. The only way to cure it is to have a cast of some sort made out of plastic which will keep your finger straight while the ligament basically scars and reattaches itself. Now in terms of full recovery. Thats a question mark. Your finger might never get back to as straight as it was but close. It will appear to be lazy compared to the other fingers is essentially the outcome. Healing time for me took about 6 weeks of wearing the cast. I didnt attempt to play golf because it felt really awkward in terms of grasping of the club so I just took some time off. Unfortunately, I attempted to shorten recovery time and my finger bent back into the trigger position and I had to start recovery all over again. My doctor said anything really can cause the ligament to separate so there really is no way of preventing it. Goodluck to you

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Ugh, thx llewol. I wear a splint at night to keep it from locking in a closed position in the morning. If I didn't and it locked, it takes 30 minutes or so to massage it to straighten it out. This really sucks!!! Most things I read on the internet and what the above members said seem to be positive. I'm hoping my situation isn't as bad as what happened to you. It was really tough holding a golf club yesterday. The pain is brutal when the finger joint slips into place. Even when I wear a splint at night, I have to massage the finger to get it to close as well. This is really becoming a life-altering pain in the a**!! Great, the snow is melting and now I have to deal with this s***. UGH!!!

Brian

[xxio]

I think a separated ligament is a totally different scenario.

I have started experiencing it and the way it was explained to me by the doctor was that the tendons become inflamed and they now have a hard time going through and back in the passage way. So they get locked in place and that is what causes it to get stuck and painful. The surgery somehow (I forgot how) releases the blocking.

A separated ligament seems more painful and requires a lot more healing. I hope it healed well. I had bad bball accident with my fingers as well and my right ring finger is slightly crooked.

[rainkingjr]

I have a trigger finger on the same exact location. Ring finger of the left hand. I have had three injections to put off having it surgically repaired. All three bought me time. I had them same exact symptoms and also slept with a splint. If I didn't, I'd have to fill the sink with hot water and soak it for a few minutes to get it to loosen up. The funny thing was that after the third injection, the Doctor and I agreed that the next visit would be surgery to release it. That was over two years ago and it hasn't locked up since. Go figure. I have no idea what happened because it was bad. If it does ever occur again, I'm just going to suck it up and get it fixed properly.

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Maybe I should go for the injections for a temporary fix so I can still play golf this season. Then deal with this surgically in the winter. Thank you for the feedback, this is so aggravating. Last night my splint came off and the finger locked. This time it took about 45 minutes to knead it back to straight. Now it's 9 days until my Doctor's appt and I can't wait.

Brian

[shortgame85]

I have "trigger" finger in the ring finger of each hand. It first developed in the 1980s when I played tennis and then appeared in only one hand. At that time, I received an injection directly in the affected finger and hand. It returned intermittently throughout the 1990s but, it was never so severe that I required additional treatment. The issue appeared with more severity in the ring finger of each hand when I began playing golf around 2003. It more or less remains a constant irritant but never so awful that I feel the need for another shot. I share this with you as one who has it as a chronic but quite livable condition. Aspirin contain properties of antinflamatories. As a man of 56, I take a couple of baby aspirin each night for good heart health. I am sure those regular doses of aspirin help with the "trigger finger." I hope this helps. Good luck.

[MizzyMan]

I've had 3 (three!) trigger finger surgeries and last time I asked the Doc if she'd just do all of my fingers at the same time. It's easy, fairly painless, only takes a couple weeks before you're playing again with no pain whatsoever again (just have to be careful with the stitches). I had my left thumb and middle finger and right middle finger done at separate times. All had had several cortisone injections. Let me tell you, those damn shots in the joint hurt more than the surgeries. Just Do It!

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Thank you for the replies!! I'm finding this is a common issue as they say. It turns out I have "trigger finger" in both my ring fingers, not just the left. The right is at the very beginning stages, but it is clicking and uncomfortable. I think I'm going to print out this thread and show it to my doctor so he can figure out the best course of action, especially since this thread pertains to the golfers' point of view. I know he doesn't play golf, so he better follow a treatment with the golfer in mind.

Brian

[MizzyMan]

The cause is either your grip is too tight (causing your tendons to get chronically inflamed) or just bad genetics, or both. Mine on the left hand was from fretting my guitar too hard. The tendon stays inflamed and cannot pass through the sheath at the base of your finger without catching. They open up the sheath with a knife, tendon stays in place, and the tendon has no more pressure on it. The inflammation soon just completely goes away. Kinda like undoing your belt after a big meal. But this way the belt STAYS undone.

[MizzyMan]

[quote name='Brian Kwiatkowski' timestamp='1394815971' post='8870995']
Thank you for the replies!! I'm finding this is a common issue as they say. It turns out I have "trigger finger" in both my ring fingers, not just the left. The right is at the very beginning stages, but it is clicking and uncomfortable. I think I'm going to print out this thread and show it to my doctor so he can figure out the best course of action, especially since this thread pertains to the golfers' point of view. I know he doesn't play golf, so he better follow a treatment with the golfer in mind.

Brian
[/quote]
Once you get to the clicking, you're probably too late for anything but surgery.

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Thank you Mizzy!! I'm going to tell the doctor to immediately opt for surgery. I think I'm a combination of both genetics and hard grip. My mother has the same problem. And for the longest time, my grip pressure was more than average. I changed to a VERY light pressure last year (like I'm holding a bird) and my game improved dramatically. The problem is the damage is already done. Thanks Mizzy.

Brian

[RobbieT]

Hi Brian,

I am a long time lurker but first time poster. I am a mid-high capper and feel that I don’t have much to add with the great knowledge on the forum. While I don’t have golf expertise, I do regarding trigger fingers.

I am a Canadian plastic surgeon (yes... in Canada hand surgery is performed predominately by plastic surgeons and not orthopedics like in the US) who does a fair amount of hand surgery. I am currenlty living in Melbourne for a 1 year "working holiday".

Basically there are 3 treatment options. Splinting, steroid injections and surgery. In general, for a high demand individual, splinting is not effective. Steroid injections and surgery on he other hand are extremely effective. The blurb I give patients is:

Steroid injections are quick and easy. Typically most patients get some improvement. The improvement may be permanent but often is only temporary (may last months to years).

Surgery if performed properly is effective nearly 100% of the time. Its about as straight forward as a 6 inch putt. Its typically done under local anesthetic and takes less than 15 minutes. All we do is make a small incision in the palm and release a pulley that the “stenosed” tendon is catching on. The pulley is not necessary and if completely released will fix the problem.

Generally I try a steroid injection and see the patient 2 months later. If there is no improvement, I will inject the patient a second time and reassess them in 2 months. If there is no improvement again, I will offer them surgery. If a patient is an athlete and doesn’t want to trial injections for a couple of months Its reasonable to operate right away.

If you do have the surgery, you will be a little sore for 2 days and will need to be off from golf for about 2-3 weeks until the skin incision is fully healed.

What llewol007 was referring to does not sound like a trigger finger to me. MizzyMan is also incorrect. Steroid injections are totally reasonable ... the clicking is what defines it as a trigger.

So my advice is: see a qualified professional who can first confirm the diagnosis and than go over the treatment options for you. Make sure you mention you are an avid golfer and want minimal down time. I frankly wouldn't bother bringing a print out of the thread..... it would be like bringing Monte a print out of advice on how to cure a slice from a doctors forum.....

Overall don’t worry. Triggers shouldn’t affect your golfing in the long run.
cheers,

Robbie

[Brian Kwiatkowski]

Thank you Robbie for sharing your thoughts on this! I'm glad I posted this question on the boards, I didn't know what to think. All I know is that I had a really bad day at the driving range. I shanked at least 5 shots and I'm a single handicapper!!!

Brian

[RobbieT]

[quote name='Brian Kwiatkowski' timestamp='1394853639' post='8875293']
Thank you Robbie for sharing your thoughts on this! I'm glad I posted this question on the boards, I didn't know what to think. All I know is that I had a really bad day at the driving range. I shanked at least 5 shots and I'm a single handicapper!!!

Brian
[/quote]


No worries Brian. Feel free to PM me after you meet with your doc and we can discuss the plan that was made for you.

cheers,

Robbie

[randy6675]

I had trigger finger on both little fingers many years ago and long before I took up golf. the injections would work for 3 to 6 months. I was getting ready for the surgery when I started taking glucosamine for an aching knee. the trigger finger cleared up very quickly and I have had no further problems. however I was not trying to grip a club which may have allowed the healing. may be worth a try for a week or 2.

[MizzyMan]

You call me incorrect and suggest maybe he get an injection and if that doesn't work when you see him in a couple of months you'll give him another one and MAYBE that will help some, temporarily? Brian, if you've got decent insurance, get the surgery, injections MAY help a little bit, temporarily, but chances are it's gonna come back as soon as you start playing golf again. You'll be better than new in 3 weeks. I say better because there's no chance it will come back. Your whole summer's gone if you do those injections. I know, I've been there. Wasted two years figuring out what to do and dikking around with those shots.

[WalleyeDave]

I don't know if you can call it trigger finger since I have it in my left thumb. Painfull as all heck when it locks up. Had injections about 6 weeks ago and it has not locked up since. It's not as flexable as before but no surgery yet. The doctor told me the injection were about 80% effective. He told me if I could go about 2 - 3 months without having it lock up I should be ok. I would say injections first. Surgery only if injections don't work.

[TKD24]

I had a very mild form of trigger finger when I was doing some remodeling in the house and using an impact driver every day. It ended up resolving after wearing a splint on it for a few months.

That being said, if it's persistent and painful, surgery is a pretty sure thing (you're in and out and back playing golf in 3-4 weeks usually). As most have said and experienced, steroid injections will work, but oftentimes the trigger finger will not permanently resolve which will eventually lead to a surgical resolution anyway.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Shambles]

[quote name='Brian Kwiatkowski' timestamp='1394752931' post='8866151']
Any fellow golfers reading this ever have "trigger finger" before, where a certain finger normally gets locked in a closed position and it's painful to pop it back out. Apparently this is a fairly common condition. Turns out I have it in my left hand ring finger, and I have a doctor's appointment next week to start dealing with it. It is near impossible to hold a golf club at the moment, and if I manage to get my hand solidly on the grip, the pain usually picks up intensity on my downswing, altering my swing plane drastically. In other words, this must be dealt with quickly so my golfing life doesn't get affected. Treatments consist of either corticosteroid injections or simple outpatient surgery, depending on what the doctor says.

[size=4]If this is as common as they say, odds are someone here who plays golf had this before since there are A LOT of members. If anyone had trigger finger treatment -- injections or surgery -- did it resolve the problem and were you able to continue playing golf at max level? How long did recovery take? [/size]

[size=4]This started happening 4 months ago; I should have dealt with it over the winter. Now it got so bad I must deal with it now. It was a disaster at the driving range yesterday, the pain was [/size]excruciating! [size=4] [/size]

[size=4]Anyway, I believe it was Patrick Henry who said "Give me golf or give me death!" That's how I feel, lol. [/size]

[size=4]Brian [/size]
[/quote]


In my case it did not hurt but it did lock and I needed to use the other hand to make it let go of the club, which became a nuisance after a couple of months of trying to live with it. I took the operation route and am now frequently exercising my hands with stress balls to keep the hooking effect off my hands.



Shambles

[Cmartingolf]

I have an issue w my left thumb getting stuck straight! It has come and gone over the years. Caught a puck in a men's league game right on the thumb knuckle at the tip of the thumb. The inflammation seems to have something to do w the knuckle catching. Luckily, it doesn't effect my golf grip. Have a finger joint "catch" would be a lot more aggravating.

[torrejuan]

I had the surgery after months with the splint. The splint was a waste of time. One month of hassle is better than a golf season with pain.100% effective. It's genetics by the way.

[JR11]

I had the surgery after months with the splint. The splint was a waste of time. One month of hassle is better than a golf season with pain.100% effective. It's genetics by the way.

 

Sorry for digging up an ancient thread, but I had trigger finger release surgery on both little/pinky fingers last Wednesday. Very keen to hear how long it took others to get back to playing and practicing on a regular basis. I nearly have a full range of movement in both fingers after 5 days and I am getting stitches out next Monday (12 days post op). I assume it should just be a case of waiting to get stitches out and then slowly build up from chipping and pitching and see how I go?

 

Looking forward to hearing how quickly others got back on the course.

[xxio]

To add to my previous post. My dad has now had it on 6 fingers all operated on.

 

If you have it on one finger you are predisposed to have it on the others I guess.

[smitherz86]

Wow, i had a bad case of 'golfers elbow' and as a result, i got trigger finger in my left pinky finger. My doctor mentioned that if i do nothing it will get to the point of surgery. But as i came in early, a strong regimen of stretching (fingers, wrist, shoulder and forearm) and resistance band work, it would heal up and strengthen both my elbow and the trigger finger. Sure enough, it did. I know that some people will not respond so well to that type of treatment, but caught early, my doc said that it should fix in most cases. Its when docs jump straight in with injections and no rehab work that it just snowballs and gets worse.

 

I know this doesnt help anoyone above (many of which were years ago), but in case anyone is experiencing this now... stretch your heart out 2-3 days a week, massage tendons on your forearm and in your elbow as deep as you can. This will help more than anything else and can help avoid surgery. Avoid injections if you can, they only mask the issue and dont cure it.

[JR11]

Wow, i had a bad case of 'golfers elbow' and as a result, i got trigger finger in my left pinky finger. My doctor mentioned that if i do nothing it will get to the point of surgery. But as i came in early, a strong regimen of stretching (fingers, wrist, shoulder and forearm) and resistance band work, it would heal up and strengthen both my elbow and the trigger finger. Sure enough, it did. I know that some people will not respond so well to that type of treatment, but caught early, my doc said that it should fix in most cases. Its when docs jump straight in with injections and no rehab work that it just snowballs and gets worse.

 

I know this doesnt help anoyone above (many of which were years ago), but in case anyone is experiencing this now... stretch your heart out 2-3 days a week, massage tendons on your forearm and in your elbow as deep as you can. This will help more than anything else and can help avoid surgery. Avoid injections if you can, they only mask the issue and dont cure it.

 

100% agree. My problem was that it was badly misdiagnosed when I first had issues years ago so when it flared up again this year it was really bad. I tried 1 round of steroid injections in both fingers which did nothing so I pretty much had to have the surgery.

 

I would definitely be interested to hear what stretches/exercises you did to prevent it.

[hackerboy]

Have had bilateral trigger fingers 20+ years ago. Happened right after I bought my new Biggest Big Bertha Driver and hit multiple buckets of balls during a light rain. IN other words, death grip to keep from slipping. The right hand was cured after 1 steroid injection. The left hand improved after one injection, but it recurred, and ultimately needed 3 injections. I was very concerned (around 1997) and was thinking I might need surgery. Well, after that last injection, it resolved a week later and has never recurred again. The lesson is: 1) excellent possibility of cure with steroid injection into tendon sheath 2) Don’t rush into surgery- get another shot or so if it doesn’t work the first time. Maybe the injection wasn’t in the exact right spot, maybe some leaked out, etc. 3). Worst case scenario- steroids fail, then surgery is easy and effective. My brother just had his done with very rapid return to normal.