Trigger Finger: What Actually Works (An Evidence-Based Guide)

A finger that clicks, catches, or locks up bent — and you have to pull it straight with your other hand? That's trigger finger (stenosing flexor tenosynovitis). This video walks through what it really is (a tendon that no longer glides through its A1 pulley), who gets it and why, how it's diagnosed without a scan, and the honest evidence behind every treatment — tendon-gliding exercise, splints, steroid injection, shockwave, and surgical release — so you can build a plan that actually works. ▬▬▬ Chapters ▬▬▬ 0:00 A finger that clicks, catches, and locks 0:09 What trigger finger is & how common it is 0:32 Why it catches: the tendon and its A1 pulley 1:38 Who gets it — diabetes and other risk factors 2:11 Symptoms: clicking, pain, locking, morning stiffness 3:02 When it's the more serious end 3:33 How it's diagnosed (no scan needed) 4:22 When imaging actually helps 4:46 Building your treatment plan 5:17 The exercise that helps: tendon gliding 6:14 Splints & steroid injection: the honest data 7:04 Percutaneous & open release: surgery 7:52 Your plan, in order ▬▬▬ Key points ▬▬▬ • Trigger finger is a mechanical catch — the flexor tendon can't glide smoothly under the A1 pulley at the base of the finger — not "arthritis" or simple inflammation. • It's common and linked to diabetes; most cases are diagnosed on clinical exam alone, without imaging. • A steroid injection helps many fingers short-term; results are less durable over the long run, and diabetic fingers respond less well. • Tendon-gliding exercise is a low-risk adjunct; splinting can help selected fingers. • Release (percutaneous or open) is highly effective and reserved for fingers that don't settle with injection. 📚 Sources: built from 46 peer-reviewed full-text papers, including Cochrane systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials. Key figures are cited on screen. ⚕️ This video is patient education, not medical advice. It cannot diagnose your finger or replace assessment by your own doctor, hand therapist, or physiotherapist. If a finger is locked, very painful, or not improving, get it assessed in person. 明動醫理 EvidiMotion — evidence in motion 📧 evidimotion@gmail.com #triggerfinger #stenosingtenosynovitis #handtherapy #physiotherapy #evidencebasedmedicine