Trigger Thumb
Trigger Thumb is perhaps one of the most painful conditions when it comes to medical condition involving the fingers.1 Trigger thumb can be extremely painful and incapacitating at its worst. Trigger Thumb occurs when the tendon sheath of the thumb gets irritated resulting in inflammation. As a result of this inflammation, there is impairment of the natural movements of the thumb, as well as pain with any attempts at bending the thumb.
Overuse is one of the primary causes of Trigger Thumb.2 Excessive driving and sporting activities that require prolonged use of the thumb or need to keep the thumb in a bent position for prolonged periods of time like tennis or badminton can cause a Trigger Thumb.
Trigger Thumb also causes stiffness and the affected individual may hear a clicking or a popping sensation when moving the thumb. In some cases, there may also a visible bump seen at the base of the thumb. There may also be locking of the thumb at a bent position with inability to straighten it as a result of Trigger Thumb.
There are various ways to treat Trigger Thumb including treatments with antiinflammatories, splints, and braces but they are not always successful and ultimately the individual has to undergo a surgery to correct Trigger Thumb. Once the individual has undergone a successful surgery to treat Trigger Thumb, then exercises play an important role in bringing the thumb back to normal so that the individual can use the thumb for any activity. This article gives an overview of some of the Trigger Thumb Exercises.
4 Exercises To Relieve Symptoms Of Trigger Thumb
It is always recommended to properly warm up the hand before you embark on Trigger Thumb Exercises as not doing so may result in more pain and stiffness and could aggravate the condition. Below mentioned are some of Trigger Thumb Exercises.
Tabletop Lifts: This is a good trigger thumb exercise. All you need to do is put the palm of the hand on a tabletop and spread the fingers. Putting more emphasis on the injured thumb try and lift each finger as much as possible. It may be difficult to lift the thumb much at first but gradually the discomfort will ease out and you will be able to do this exercise more smoothly. You need to do this exercise at least three times a day for best benefit.
Resistance Exercise: This is also quite an effective Trigger Thumb Exercise. This exercise goes a long way in not only strengthening the fingers but also the trigger thumb and makes them supple.
All you need to do is place a couple of rubber bands around all the fingers including the trigger thumb. Using this rubber band as resistance, try to push the rubber band outwards as much as possible. If a couple of rubber bands do not provide enough resistance you can increase the number of rubber bands for added resistance. Do this about five times a day for best effectiveness and relief from Trigger Thumb.
Bent Finger Exercise for Trigger Thumb: In this exercise you need to bend the thumb and touch the tip of each finger one by one such in such a way that a shape of a circle is made when the thumb meets the fingertip. Hold the position for about 10 seconds for each finger. You need to do this at least three times a day to get rid of the symptoms of Trigger Thumb.
Ball Squeeze Exercise for Trigger Thumb: This is quite an effective Exercise to Strengthen the Trigger Thumb. It is quite easy to do and not only strengthens the fingers significantly but also strengthens the Trigger Thumb. All you need to do is hold a tennis ball or a rubber ball in the palm of your hand and try to squeeze it as much as possible with as much force as possible coming from the affected thumb. You can do this till a count of 10. Do this at least two to three times a day for best results and getting rid of symptoms of Trigger Thumb.
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