# Trigger Finger and Muy Pain!



## cheddarlove

My left thumb and index finger have developed trigger finger. It hurts pretty bad. 
All my fingers are really stiff and the Dr. said it's arthritis. Lucky me!  
I've had cortisone shots for the trigger finger and the first set worked well and lasted a couple months. The second set, not so good. 
Acupuncture for trigger finger and arthritis didn't help very much.
Clearly the trigger issue is caused by biking/gripping. 
After a good ride, my hands are much more painful and the TF is much worse.
Obviously I'm stubborn and like many athletes, I don't want to stop riding! Although I did stop for about 2 weeks in December and although it got better, it came back very quickly. 
Has anyone ever used a treatment called "Prolotherapy"?
I'd like to know your experience with it. Anyone else had trigger finger issues and found something that worked?
Thanks


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## gamara

Trigger finger is caused by RSI, repetitive stress injury, & yours is accompanied with arthritis as a complicating factor. Could you provide more background info. By your description it seems as if you use ergopower shifters by the sound of it. Yes or No? Do you have any other factors outside of cycling that could also contribute to your condition? Are you sure you have trigger finger? Someone that has trigger finger cannot re-extend their finger back to a neutral position. It is stuck in a closed position.

Unless you can reduce or eliminate the amount of exposure to the specific type of repetitive motion that is causing you problems, any treatment that you seek will only provide temporary relief until the RSI motion will aggravate the injury again. If you can not identify any outside factors that is causing the problem & it is solely due to cycling only, then you must change the way that you shift normally. 

As it is your left hand, I would suggest that you get rid of the left brifter & switch to a downtube shifter ala Lance & use a normal brake lever only. 

Normally for trigger finger only, the treatment options are first to eliminate the RSI motion & try using a splint for a short period of time. If that doesn't work, then minor surgery is an option to help free the finger.

So try adjusting your cockpit first to help reduce the RSI motion & avoid any further medical treatments. Increased cortisone use can actually lead to bone deterioration if used extensively. I hope this helps.


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## Creakyknees

consider a big change in your upper body position. get a cruiser, go way upright for a while.


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## Morris Buttermaker

Have you tried glucosamine? I've taken it for my knees and it's helped. My mom has arthritis and told her to take it and it's helped with her hands too.


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## il sogno

I have had trigger finger from playing musical instruments. I have found that flexing my hand and affected fingers backwards helps.


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## cheddarlove

Thanks for the responses everyone.
Creakyknees!   A cruiser? Shoot me now!

The affected area is exactly where my left hand sits on the hoods. The small bony area at the base of the thumb and index finger. 
At this time, I am able to snap my finger and thumb back in to a normal position on their own! The bony area is very inflamed and hurts badly! A 1 to 10 scale has it at a 7/8 and when I accidently bang it, it's a 12. I've been trying to keep my hands on the tops lately. 
I've seen my GP twice, two rheumatologist's, two acupuncturists a guy that specializes only in hands and a now my GP wants to send me to a neurologist. I think that's because he doesn't know what else to do. The hand Dr. recommended the rheumatologist.
So now it's a chiropractor next or perhaps the prolotherapy. 
I use heat, but should I be using ice? Tonight I'll begin splinting them.Now I'm also bending them back. *ow*


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## il sogno

Use ice after riding, heat later on.


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## cheddarlove

Thanks. Icing as I write this. Going to look in to PT.


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## shudson16

I developed it about two yrs ago in my left ring finger. About six mos later I got it in my right index finger. TF along with Basal Joint arthritis in both thumbs was real painful. Neither index fingers now show signs of TF and my BJ arthritis is minimal. My fix? Xango. It's a supplement made from certain fruits found in SE Asia or somewhere over there. You can't buy it in stores, you have to "join" a membership, sign up for it thru someone who deals it. Kind of like Amway but it's not. You can certainly try to sell it and make a living doing it but it's not required. It's like Amway in the sense that if you sign someone up for a subscription then you get a small kickback when they buy the stuff and anyone down the line that buys the stuff, etc., etc. But the bottom line here is that the stuff works. Gums, joints, feet, high cholesterol, your everyday "outlook" on life, you name it. I take a one ounce shot in the morning and one before bedtime. That's it. My wife uses it, her friends, her mother, her mothers friends and all feel positive results from daily doses. My GP wanted to know why my hands were so much better on my last physical, last spring. I told him about Xango. He'd never heard of it, didn't want to hear about it and told me to shut up about how wonderful I thought it was. My dentist sells it in her office. Her husband takes it to control cholestrol and she takes it for GURD. Good stuff and I recommend finding a dealer. It's not cheap but I've seen and heard too much positive things about it and I for one can vouch for it. And it taste good too .HTH.


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## kreuzberg

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...106?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Same thing happened to Bert, apparently!


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## CMBravo

*Trigger finger*



il sogno said:


> I have had trigger finger from playing musical instruments. I have found that flexing my hand and affected fingers backwards helps.


 I have had the same problem. had cortizzone shots . 6 yrs ago on pinky righ hand finger. helped a lot. caused from Gulf playing. now from bike riding. exercise and flex of hand and fingers alleviates. changing position on the hood helps,good gloves and double tape of hood to limit vibration.I also have a bad knee treated with synthetic chicken cartilage liquid shots.Reumathologist cyclist is key.
Need to ride!


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## indianajo

I don't have trigger finger, but the metatarsal behind my right thumb has developed a huge fluid sack under the skin that drains out when I work the arm/hand, but gets 5 cm diameter x 1 cm thick when I sit around.
Besides the pain in the thumb joint from downshifting 3 to 5 gears every stop sign or traffic light. 
The 7 speed Shimano sis deraileur requires a thumb action for every gear downshift. The 6 speed shimano sis could be down shifted in one movement, but the axle design on that one was so shoddy no wonder it broke in two after a year. 5/16 threaded thick axle in the middle, broke right in two and I weigh 170 lb. At least the SIS 7 speed is 3/8 all the way through, although I've had two of those the race came unscrewed and dropped some balls. I thought I was aging badly this year! Actually the axle was scraping the hub where the top two balls were missing! A new to me 7 speed SIS with all the balls feels like I dropped 15 years. 
I can't believe all the posters on here are riding 10 and 11 speed rear deraileurs. Who wants to downshift 7 times every stop sign? Besides a 11 or 12 tooth top gear would only be useful for me on extreme downhill and 35 mph is all I want to go anyway. No long straights around here, my steepest hill has a huge turn where the pedal almost scrapes. 
What is it with you people? Bigger gear numbers mean your **** is bigger? I like the 28 tooth gear up hill with a 30 front, but 52 to 13 is way too tall. As far as drop handle shifters, I have trouble staying out of the way of traffic now shifting every 2 seconds. Ride around with my hands between my thighs? no way. 
I bought a Sturmey Archer s80 8 speed IGH last week, with twist handle shifter. X-RD8(w) 3.5 to direct ratios. 25 tooth rear gear which will fit 15 speed, 18 speed or 21 speed chains, also old bendix coaster brake chain. (available from industrial supplies with real master links) Let me screw up some other muscles/joints twist downshifting! With the 3 speed front sprocket I should be able to get up hills without pushing the bike. (30 to 25)*3.5 in low front. 
Headed out of town today, will be taking extra balls in my tool kit for a 7 speed SIS. Bleah! 
first try at ordering spokes for the SA came out all wrong. Spoke length calculator was useless! Have a RA to send 234 mm spokes back, next try in a coupla weeks. 247 one estimate comes up with, another 243. Fitting a 26"x1.75" steel wheel shouldn't be a research project. My local shop will to the job for only $108! what a bargain.


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## sneertough

My guitarist friend also developed trigger finger and prolotherapy helped him avoid surgery. It worked for him but I do not know if it works for everybody. Please do consult with your doctor before making a decision to have these injections.


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## il sogno

I wound up getting surgery for my trigger finger (bluegrass guitar) this past January. Trigger finger is gone, but I'm still working at flexing the hand post-surgery.


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