Trigger finger exercises: do they help, and how to keep a routine

If you search for "trigger finger exercises", you will find long lists of stretches, often with exact numbers of repetitions. What you will rarely find is the honest part: trusted medical sources do not agree on whether exercises help with trigger finger at all.

This post sets out what three well-known patient sources say, admits what it cannot answer, and then turns to a more practical question: if your therapist or doctor has already given you exercises, how do you keep doing them week after week? It does not give you exercises, and it is no substitute for advice from someone who has examined your hand.

What is trigger finger?

Trigger finger is a problem with a tendon in a finger or thumb. The NHS describes the main symptom as a finger or thumb getting stuck in a bent position, with a click or pop when it straightens. Other symptoms can include pain in the finger, thumb or palm, stiffness, and needing to push the finger straight with your other hand.

According to AAOS OrthoInfo, the tendon and the tunnel it slides through no longer match in size. The tendon may thicken or develop a small bump, and the tunnel at the base of the finger may narrow, so the tendon catches instead of gliding. Many people notice a tender lump on the palm side at the base of the finger. AAOS also notes that stiffness and locking tend to be worse after inactivity, such as first thing in the morning, and may ease during the day with gentle use of the hand.

It most often affects the ring finger, the thumb or the middle finger. Often there is no clear cause.

Do trigger finger exercises work?

This is the question most people are really asking, and the sources give different answers.

AAOS OrthoInfo (the patient site of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons) lists gentle stretching exercises among its non-surgical options, saying they can help decrease stiffness. It lists them alongside rest, a night splint and anti-inflammatory medicine (AAOS OrthoInfo).

Thuisarts (the Dutch public patient site from the Dutch college of general practitioners, NHG, and its partners) takes a much more cautious line. It says that with trigger finger you can only wait and see whether the symptoms go away by themselves, and that there is nothing you can do yourself to make it pass faster. It does not mention exercises. It also says doctors do not advise wearing a (night) splint, because there is no evidence that it helps (Thuisarts, in Dutch; page last changed May 2022).

The NHS sits in between. It says trigger finger can sometimes get better on its own, suggests avoiding or reducing activities that make it worse, and describes a stepwise set of options if it does not settle. Exercises are not part of that list (NHS).

So one respected source mentions gentle exercises, one says there is nothing you can do yourself to speed things up, and one does not bring exercises up. They also disagree on night splints.

This post cannot settle that question. The sources were written by different groups, for different health systems, at different times. Your own situation also matters: which finger, how long it has been going on, whether it locks, and your general health. The person who has examined your hand is the right person to ask whether exercises make sense for you.

Trigger finger: rest or exercise?

People often frame it as a choice between resting the finger and working it. The sources do not really frame it that way.

AAOS suggests resting the hand and avoiding repetitive gripping or pinching, and, in the same list, gentle stretching (AAOS OrthoInfo). The NHS suggests avoiding or reducing the activities that make symptoms worse until they improve (NHS). Neither source tells you to push through catching or locking.

In practice, "rest" usually means cutting down on whatever aggravates the finger, not keeping the hand completely still. Whether gentle movement belongs in your plan is a question for your therapist or doctor. If you have been told to rest, rest. If you have been told to do specific exercises, do those, and only those.

What care options are there?

The NHS gives a stepwise picture. It starts with self-care: avoiding activities that make the symptoms worse and, if needed, painkillers such as ibuprofen. If the symptoms do not go away, a GP or specialist may suggest:

• anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs)
• a splint that keeps the finger straight and limits movement
• a steroid injection into the finger or thumb to reduce swelling and pain
• surgery to help the finger move properly, which the NHS says is only done if other options have not worked

The NHS also notes that in many areas you can refer yourself to community musculoskeletal (MSK) services, such as physiotherapy, without seeing a GP first.

Thuisarts describes a similar path in the Netherlands: waiting to see if it settles, an injection with an anti-inflammatory medicine if you have a lot of symptoms, and an operation if the problem does not go away and bothers you a lot. Thuisarts also lists the downsides of each step, which are worth reading before you decide.

Trigger finger exercises after a cortisone injection

None of the three sources gives a general rule about exercises after a steroid (cortisone) injection. Thuisarts says that after the injection you can wait and see whether your symptoms get less, and go back to your GP for a check after 4 to 6 weeks if you still have symptoms (Thuisarts).

So if you were given exercises before the injection, don't assume they still apply afterwards. Ask the person who gave you the injection two things: whether you should keep doing any exercises, and if so, from when.

Trigger finger exercises after surgery

After a trigger finger release, the plan comes from your surgeon or hand therapist. AAOS says that most patients are told to start moving their fingers straight after the operation, and that keeping the hand raised above the heart can help with pain and swelling. It also says that if stiffness, swelling or pain do not improve, your doctor may want you to see a hand therapist (AAOS OrthoInfo).

That is general information, not your plan. Surgeons differ in what they ask patients to do and when. Follow the written instructions you were given, and ask if anything is unclear.

If your therapist gave you exercises: how to keep a routine

Everything from here on is for one group of readers: people whose therapist or doctor has looked at their hand and given them specific exercises. If that's not you, the most useful step is to ask your GP or therapist whether exercises make sense for you.

If it is you, the hard part is often not the exercises themselves. It's remembering them, doing them correctly, and still doing them in week three when the novelty has gone. These ideas help with that. None of them changes what you were prescribed.

Write down exactly what you were told

Instructions given in a clinic are easy to half-remember. Before you leave, or as soon as you get home, write down:

• which exercises, in your own words, so you'll recognize them later
• how often, and how many, exactly as your therapist said
• what to do if the finger catches, locks or hurts during an exercise
• anything you were told not to do

If you are unsure about any of these, ask. A short message to the clinic is better than guessing for weeks.

Attach the exercises to something you already do

Routines stick better when they hang on an existing habit. Pick a moment that already happens every day at the times your therapist suggested: after your morning coffee, after brushing your teeth, before the evening news. Keep whatever you need in that place.

Keep the routine simple

Do only what you were given. Adding extra stretches from the internet makes the routine longer, harder to keep, and may not suit your hand. If the routine feels too long to fit into your day, tell your therapist; they may be able to simplify it.

Keep a simple record

A tick on a calendar or a note on your phone is enough. It helps you see whether you are actually doing the exercises, and it gives you something concrete to show at your next appointment. If you want, note how the finger felt that day (stiff, catching, easier). Keep the notes in your own words. They are a reminder for you, not a measurement.

Bring your questions to the next appointment

Things worth asking:

• Am I doing this exercise the way you meant?
• Should anything change now that my symptoms have changed?
• What should I do on days when the finger is more painful?
• When should I stop, or contact you before the next appointment?

The short version

• Trusted sources disagree on whether exercises help with trigger finger. Ask the person who examined your hand.
• If you have been given exercises: write the instructions down, attach them to a daily habit, keep it simple, keep a record, and bring questions back to your therapist.