Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, The Liberal, Copyright July 31, 1991
Dear Dr. Horowitz:
You might think I am making this up, but I promise that I am not. I am a 19 year old female university student and as far as I know I am very healthy.
Almost every morning I wake up and I can’t move my index finger. The finger is slightly bent but even if I force it with my other hand I still can’t unlock the knuckle joint. I walk around like this for an hour or two and then it suddenly unlocks by itself with a “clunking” noise. It hurts for a minute or two and then it is fine.
What could this be? Have you ever heard of this before? I am away at school and can’t see my regular doctor, but my mother told me to write to you and she would look for your answer.
Thanks for any help you can give me.
Answer:
You have a “trigger finger”.
You have likely developed a small nodule on the tendon of your finger. When this tendon flexes and extends, it glides through a small ligamentous opening. If this nodule is present, it may prevent the smooth gliding of the tendon under the ligament. If the nodule does pass through the opening successfully, it may become trapped there and the finger will remain in a flexed position until this nodule can slide back through the opening.
Why does the nodule grow? I don’t know.
What can be done to help the problem? It will sometimes resolve itself and no treatment is necessary. Some people have had trigger fingers for many years and they are not at all bothered by them.
There shouldn’t really be much pain, except for a slight discomfort when the nodule slides under the ligament. If you do not like your nodule, and it doesn’t go away on its own, you can have an injection of cortisone which may solve the problem. Sometimes a few injections are needed.
SURGERY SURE BET
If this doesn’t work, then surgery is almost a sure bet to cure the problem. (The opening is made larger to allow the nodule to pass through easier. If the nodule is removed, sometimes a new one grows back, which might even be bigger than the original.)
Sometimes local therapy (mobilization of the finger joints and stretching of the tendons) is useful. Any chiropractor or physiotherapist can do this, but if no beneficial results occur after the first four or five sessions, then it is not likely going to help. If it does help, the results can be permanent, but might also be temporary.
If the problem does keep returning it would be best to ask your doctor or chiropractor to refer you to a hand specialist.
Dear Readers:
I know I am not supposed to be a movie critic, but I can’t resist this recommendation. I saw a movie a few months ago that I thought was great. Apparently I was the only one because it lasted about two weeks at the theatres. It is now on video tape for your home viewing, and I highly recommend it.
GREAT THRILLER
Not only is it a great thriller, in the style of Alfred Hitchcock, but it has a great little chiropractic twist which can’t be described. It would be a great movie, even if it didn’t have an angelic, chiropractic hero. Spend the $1.99 and see for yourself. The title of the flick is Jacob’s Ladder.