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Introduction
Watch these finger signs if you have diabetes. We are talking about trigger finger, a nasty condition that can happen to any diabetic. It involves pain or discomfort at the tips of your fingers or thumb that won't go away. When you move your finger, you might hear a clicking sound, notice a benign growth at the tip of your finger or thumb, or in the worst case, your finger stops moving and stays bent.
Any diabetic is at risk for trigger finger. You may wake up one morning to find that your finger is bent in a strange way. It is possible that you will need to physically undo the bending. If it has not happened already, it will probably happen in the near future—a sort of diabetes-related Murphy's law.
Trigger Finger
Medical professionals refer to trigger finger as stenosing tenosynovitis. However, to be completely forthright, I have never once heard anyone, not even my co-workers, use this medical term. The medical community is not immune to the term "trigger finger." Let's examine this common yet challenging condition and the steps you can take if you find yourself experiencing symptoms in your own fingers.
Inflammation Of Tendons
Inflammation of the tendons that allow you to bend and flex your fingers and thumb causes trigger finger. It can be painful and hinder your ability to move, straighten, and use your fingers for even the most basic daily tasks. People with and without diabetes share a high prevalence of this condition.
When you clench your fist, it is the tendons that act like ropes to bring your fingers together. At the base of each finger, those tendons enter a narrow tunnel that acts much like a pulley system. If not for this tunnel-like structure, the tendons would actually pull away and bow from your fingers rather than tighten against them. The tendon rubs, and as a result, it bends into the tunnel like a callus that has been growing for years. The tunnel gradually contracts and thickens as time passes.
The severity of this condition can vary greatly. As it progresses, you may experience pain at the base of your finger, stiffness, an impaired ability to fully straighten a finger, or a diminished capacity to make a tight fist. When it gets caught or stuck, the situation is most dire; you cannot straighten that finger or open your hand at all. This pattern of gradual escalation does not hold true for all cases, though; some people wake up one morning and find their finger is already locked.
Who Is Most Likely To Get Trigger Finger
Trigger finger is surprisingly common in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, despite being a condition that is rarely brought up in regular visits. A 2008 review in the Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine revealed that diabetics have a much higher risk. The risk is proportional to the duration of diabetes, regardless of blood sugar levels. Trigger finger occurs six times more often in women than in men and typically appears between the ages of 40 and 50, though it can happen at any time. It is also more common in those with conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain's tenosynovitis, hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, and amyloidosis.
The Most Common Sequence Of Affected Fingers
The most common sequence of affected fingers is the pinky finger, the ring finger, the thumb, the middle finger, and finally the pointer (index) finger. As a result, the risk of developing a trigger finger is very common in diabetes.
How Trigger Finger Works
Is there a link between high blood sugar and this condition? To put it briefly, I would say no. Studies show that the length of time you have had diabetes is a more important risk factor than your blood sugar levels. However, studies have not yet established a definitive causal link between diabetes and this condition.
Inflammation and injury of the flexor tendon sheath complex result from micro-trauma, which can be caused by repetitive use or compression forces. Diseases like diabetes are known to cause inflammation; therefore, reducing insulin resistance will also decrease inflammation. Maintaining good control of blood sugar is still essential for preventing peripheral neuropathy in your fingers. Additionally, antioxidants like dihydroberberine, benfotiamine, alpha-lipoic acid, and B-complex vitamins can help lower the risk. Keep in mind that even when blood sugar levels are normal, they can have a major effect on the health and function of your fingers, so it is essential to keep inflammation down.
Trigger Finger Early Warning Signs
The fact that morning stiffness in your fingers or thumb disappears as the day progresses is not a reason to put off seeing a hand specialist. Diabetics often attribute stiffness to the disease itself instead of considering that something else might be wrong. To avoid the need for surgery, it is essential to recognize the early warning signs:
- Pain or discomfort at the tips of your fingers or thumb that won't go away.
- A clicking sound when you move your finger.
- A benign growth at the tip of your finger or thumb.
- Toughness or roughness of any kind.
Early Treatment For Trigger Finger
Early treatment is always preferable. If you intend to have surgery to correct the issue, it is still important to make an effort every day to stretch and strengthen the affected fingers. If you do not move the finger to its full extent, it will stiffen more and lose flexibility. Forcing your affected finger to move every day is like walking every day to keep your knees lubricated.
How To Treat Trigger Finger
Most orthopedic surgeons advise patients to seek treatment as soon as possible, as many people suffer for years or decades before seeking help, at which point it is often too late. Common treatments include:
- Regular physical therapy sessions (stretching and exercise).
- Resting the finger and using a splint.
- Over-the-counter painkillers.
- Steroid injections (though these can temporarily increase blood sugar levels).
If you are planning to have a steroid injection, consult your diabetes doctor to plan for potential medication adjustments. Non-operative release of the finger or thumb is an option, and while surgery has a 99% success rate, it requires a long road of physical therapy afterward. When diabetes is present, the success rate of injections decreases, but surgeons still often prefer them. If you receive steroid injections, be proactive about monitoring your blood sugar, as you may need to increase your insulin dosage—sometimes by 20% to 100%—to compensate for the steroid's effects.
Bottom Line
We appreciate you checking out this video. Please share this with your friends and give it a thumbs up if you don't have a trigger finger. Let me know in the comments if this video helped you in any way. I welcome viewer feedback and am happy to address any concerns. Thank you for taking the time to watch, and I wish you the best of luck in avoiding trigger finger.