Trigger Finger Treatment In Leeds

Trigger Finger Release

Relieve pain. Regain control. Restore your lifestyle.

What is Trigger Finger?

Trigger finger is a condition that causes the fingers or thumb to lock or catch when bent, often accompanied by pain. This occurs when the flexor tendon in the hand becomes irritated, leading to thickening and the formation of a nodule, which restricts smooth movement.

photo of a patient with a ring finger trigger locked down in the palm
Expert Private Healthcare

Common Causes

  • More common in people between the ages of 40 and 60
  • Jobs or hobbies involving strenuous repetitive grasping or gripping
  • Other associated health conditions – Arthritis, Gout, Diabetes, Thyroid disease

Symptoms of Trigger Finger

  • Pain and swelling over the palm near the knuckle joints

  • Difficulty in fully bending a particular finger

  • An inability to extend a particular finger, often worse in the mornings

  • Having to manually pull a finger straight with a painful click

Diagnosis & Investigations

Your specialist at Sozo Clinic will carry out a detailed clinical examination. On occasions, we will arrange an ultrasound scan to confirm the diagnosis and location of the trigger, but this is often not required.

Early diagnosis and treatment can return you to pain free function within a matter of days to weeks.

a photo of a finger splint on the index finger which might be used to prevent painful trigger finger

Conservative Treatment Options

Most patients recover with non-surgical interventions:

  • Stretching exercises to improve flexibility

  • Anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen

  • Night splints to limit finger bending

  • Steroid injections, which can provide relief in many cases

Trigger Finger Release Surgery at Sozo

If conservative treatments fail, surgery may be recommended. This involves releasing the tight tendon sheath to restore smooth movement and gliding of the tendon. This is a minor procedure, performed under local anaesthesia and has a high success rate, with most patients experiencing significant improvement almost immediately after surgery. There are two ways of doing the procedure.

Open surgery (Traditional)
Trigger finger release can be performed as an open operation through a 10-12mm incision in the palm. The sheath is located and divided to allow gliding of the tendons again.

Percutaneous surgery (key-hole or sonosurgery)
A tiny “stab” incision of 3mm is made in the palm of the hand or at the near end of the affected finger. This surgery is ultrasound guided or so-called “sono-surgery” using a special knife to divide the pulley and release the tendon.

What to Expect

  • Procedure Time: 30-45 minutes

  • Anaesthesia: Awake under local anaesthetic

  • Same-Day Discharge: usually within 30 minutes

  • Physiotherapy is not normally required

  • Recovery: 2-6 weeks depending on technique used

Risks & Complications

While rare, these may include:

  • Bleeding or wound infection

  • Scar pain and tenderness

  • Ongoing pain, stiffness or catching (triggering) of the finger

  • Permanent numbness of the affected finger or neighbouring fingers due to nerve damage

Struggling with a Trigger Finger? Let’s Get You Back to Feeling Your Best.

Book in for our One-Stop Trigger Finger Release Clinic today!

Got questions? Our expert team is here to help – chat with us now.
Sozo Clinic – West Yorkshire’s Trusted Name in Private Healthcare

Sozo aims to identify your issues and solve them with simple surgical solutions