Be smart, watch out for trigger fingers

VMN, a
university student in Giang Vo ward, Dong Da district, who was diagnosed with
trigger finger for making repeated finger and thumb movements, usually spent
five hours a night using her smartphone for checking and chatting with
her friends.

 “I
did not expect the habit to cause so much pain,” she said. “It hurt when I
tried to extend my fingers. I felt terrible as I could no longer control my
hand,” she added. 

And N
is not the only case. VTP, 28, a clothing store owner in District 1, HCM City, told Tuoi
tre (Youth) newspaper that her fingers suddenly went numb and felt
painful when grasping an object.  

“I use
a smartphone every day with my fingers wiping its touchscreen for hours to
check mail, surf webs and send messages. It was a surprise when my doctor
announced that I suffered trigger finger,” she said. 

According
to doctor Nguyen Van Phu from Vietnam Sports Hospital, trigger-finger or
finger-flexor-tendinitis happens when overuse or injury puts strain on the
tendons. It is more commonly found in women than men and occurs most often in
people who are in their 40s.

Older
people are also at high risk of developing trigger finger since their tendons
are losing elasticity.

However,
nowadays, young people, especially those whose work or hobbies require
repetitive gripping actions, may also experience the ailment.

Phan
Vuong Huy Dong, vice head of HCM City Sports Medicine Association, said that a
tendon, in its normal condition, glided smoothly through a sheath covering it
thanks to a lubricating membrane surrounding the joint. When a tendon sheath
becomes inflamed, the inflammation obstructs a finger’s movement, causing the
digit to drag through the sheath.  

Nguyen
Xuan Anh, head of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery Department at Sai Gon
ITO Hospital, said that people with trigger finger would experience strong
pain, particularly in the morning. Therefore, he made the
following recommendations.

When one first
experiences finger stiffness with pains in the hands and finger joints, soak
the hands in warm water every morning and move them gently during breaks.

Anti-inflammatory
medication can also help if prescribed by a doctor.

If the symptoms worsen,
doctor may offer Cortisol injections or minor surgery to cut open an
inflamed tendon sheath.

However, Nguyen Duc Thanh
from the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation at HCM City
University Medical Centre, warned that surgery could possibly cause
complications, such as finger numbness or inability to keep a firm hold.

Therefore, prevention is
better than cure. Doctors suggest not to , avoid activities
requiring repetitive gripping and wear anti-vibration work gloves when
operating vibrating hand-held machinery.

Frequent stretching
exercises during break time, moreover, can also alleviate symptoms.

According to statista.com,
the number of smartphone users in Vietnam is expected to reach 28.77 million
this year, accounting for 28.5 percent of its population.-VNA