Trigger finger

[tomobrien]

I went to the doctor today because I thought my arthritis was keeping me from straightening my middle finger on my left hand after making a fist (no jibes about the use of the middle finger please, besides I am right handed) He told me I have 'trigger finger'. The tendon moves through a sheath & it gets stuck. He gave me a cortizone shot & said if it comes back they have a simple procedure whereby they cut the sheath to free it up.

[Bob Davis]

I have the same thing in my right hand, middle finger (and it's recently started in the knuckle of the left hand index finger).

Fairly sure it is down to damage caused over a period from board breaking (which I don't do any more). It's more annoying than disabling and it comes and goes with me. If you get it fixed let me know what's involved and how successfully it turns out.

[garage]

Here are some thoughts about arthritis. There are 2 type of arthritis, osteo and rheumatoid. Osteo is where the bones in the joint wear and rheumatoid is where I think the immune system attacks the joint.

I know somebody who has never broken boards who is crippled with it. It is also connected with lympus from deer fleas and gout. If you are of Irish desent the seems to be a higher instance of gout and the middle finger curving to the palm and not being able to straighten it. A few brothers in the same family have all had he same problem. Wild guess O'Brien might have an irish connection?

The rheumatoid can be helped by keeping a food diary and noting when it is worse. Then cutting that food out.

I do not believe that cracking your fingers breaking boards causes arthritis. I think it is related to the amount of stress in someones life. In the spirit of this worked and I wouldn't want anyone to live with the pain of arthritis...

[Bob Davis]

No, trigger finger isn't related to arthritis (as far as I'm aware) but is (possibly) to do with inflamation of the tendon.

Mine came on shortly after some damage and bruising from poor breaking, when the swelling went down the problem came on, probably didn't help that I'd chipped the bone and had the piece floating around in there for a while.

[Paul Bedard]

Had this years ago in the ring finger of my left hand. The finger would lock curled down most often when lacing up my work boots. I would pull it & it would `pop` as straightening out. Hurt like hell. When it happened almost everytime I put my boots on had the surgery done. Hasn`t bothered me since.
Damn arthritis is a bugger though. I have psoriasis & with that comes psoriatic arthritis. As Garage pointed out, has a lot to do with the immune system. Can`t think of any foods that trigger it. I take a Tylenol & an Ibuprophin before training & so far so good. I must admit that the stiffness in the sacro-iliac area comes most mornings. The first 1/2 hour of the day has me starting slower than it used to.

Paul B

[garage]

rheumatoid arthritis is worse in the morning you have to move the joints until you can sit them up. If you make it better the doctors say it is remission and it is coming back worse. There is a RA blood test which we have got to zero from a few hundred.

Food one person found that tap water was a trigger. Where they lived they had added floride to the tap water. A long holiday in France where they only drank bottled water finally gave the game away. The food triggers vary from person to person, meat, wine, fruit etc. If you stop eating them for a year or so the body starts to tolerate them again.

To help the symtoms Shaitsu this made a dramatic difference being able to walk and not. I fould that the flow you can feel in your hands will effect the other person. You need a person that feels it not just does it.

Acupunture very expensive but this chinese guy has had good results again he feels it rather than just doing it.

One person knows the triggers but does want to stop eating meals with their friends so they eat knowing what is going to happen. The physical damage is real and ugly and you need to stop it because you can't undo it.

These things have worked with about a dozen people so I can't quote any studies etc. When you are told it is hopeless by doctors and doctors are sore losers saying it is remission and it is coming back. I have read their text books very brief with drugs most with nasty side effects. In the acupunture books there are chapters on it.

These are my personal observations so if anything works for you and eases the pain I would be pleased.

Karate to me is a personal journey I have trained for flow and the tingling I feel in my hands other says they feel as warmth. I didn't believe much of it until it seemed to ease the pain.

It ain' t hopeless don't give up.

[malk103]

I know someone who was told to give up Karate several years ago due to health problems and arthritis etc. He still trains 4/5 days a week and can run rings around most people....