What is trigger thumb?

What is Trigger Thumb?

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 As a painful condition, trigger thumb make a child’s fingers or thumb catch, click, or pop while straightening.  The triggered thumb of the child can also lock in a bent position. The child has to use the other hand to straighten the thumb lock.  The condition is more common among adults who move their fingers and thumbs frequently are more likely to develop trigger thumb.

 Hence, the condition is found in musicians, farmers, industrial workers, and smokers.

Causes  Normally, children have trigger thumbs between the ages of one to three.  Likewise, they can have triggered thumb in one hand or both hands.  However, trigger thumb is not caused by any injury or medical condition.  The parents must get the child’s trigger thumb examined and diagnosed by an experienced orthopaedic to identify the causes and symptoms precisely.

Symptoms  The symptoms of trigger thumb are the child’s thumb being locked in a bent position, and catching, clicking, or popping while moving the thumb.  Some children with trigger thumb even experience pain and swelling in the thumbs.  Hence, the symptoms of trigger thumb differ from one child to another.

Diagnosis ďƒź The skilled orthopaedics diagnose trigger thumb by examining the finger and observing common symptoms. ďƒź While diagnosing trigger thumb, the orthopaedic examine the finger thoroughly to identify a fractured bone or displaced joint. ďƒź However, a child with trigger thumb may not suffer with any other health problems.

Treatment  The experienced orthopaedics initially treat trigger thumb through stretching, splitting, and message.  They advise parents to make the child practice stretching exercise and perform message regularly. Based on the symptoms, they even make the child stretch and straighten the thumb by wearing a thumb splint.  However, the orthopaedic perform specific day surgery to treat trigger thumb if the initial treatment fails.  They treat trigger thumb surgically by performing trigger thumb release or A1 pulley release.

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