smoore

I have had two surgeries on my right hand for trigger finger, second finger and third finger. Now a few years later I am getting ready to go in to have the same fingers done on my left hand. Have held off until the pain is real bad and all the shots have had any effect they are going to have. I play drums and have always wondered if that could have been part of the cause...but the Dr. says unlikely. Also bike ride can be somewhat debilitating if I don't watch how I place my hands on the bars and if I place too much weight on my hands. Most of the surgery pain and swelling is over at six weeks and all back to 95% normal after a year.

Just wondering if anyone has had it and if cycling seemed exacerbate or even seemed to be a part of the cause?

Thx,
Steve

OldsCOOL

I've not experienced that condition. I play drums though not as much anymore.

CliffordK

I used to have a moderate case of trigger finger, I think on one of my ring fingers, but it went away on its own. I think it may have been related to typing.

The surgery doesn't sound like much fun.

I do get some tendonitis on my elbows, and try to ride fairly lightly on my hands. Sometimes an aero position with bent arms helps.

Shp4man

I thought this thread was going to be about guns .

Ludkeh

Trigger finger on my right hand ring finger. Had two rounds of steroid shots and it went away for a while. Now it's back again! Doesn't bother me much unless I squeeze something hard and than it get's stuck. I think I'll hold off on surgery until it really starts to hurt and impact my life.

The career I had for 35 years involve using my hands all day and lot's of manual dexterity. By the end of the day my hands routinely ached. After 35 years it finally caught up to me!

Gerryattrick

Give it time.

Gnosis

ping jockey

I've had two surgeries for trigger finger, both on my left hand. The doctor said he doubted that the condition had anything to do with either how or how much I use my hands. I'm right handed by the way.
Both surgeries were successful and I was able to use my hand fully in just a week or two.
This was several years ago before I started cycling. I haven't had any problems with my hands since I've started riding.

JohnDThompson 

Yes, I've had that pleasure. Once, I was attempting to loosen a particularly tight screw and my hand locked around the screwdriver. I could NOT open it up! I pulled the screwdriver out with my other hand, went in to my doctor, she referred me to a hand surgeon. Hand surgeon took a look, put my hand on the table with my fingers as open as I could get them and said "ok, this is going to hurt!" He whacked my hand hard to force the fingers open -- and he wasn't lying, it hurt like hell! But the fingers were now open. Then he took a syringe and squirted Liquid Wrench into the joint (kidding -- it was some steroid). No re-occurrence since then, and it's been several years now. But I have developed significant arthritis in both hands, which doesn't prevent me from using my fingers but has greatly reduced my grip strength and is a source of constant low-grade pain. It's hell getting old.

02Giant 

I had the release surgery on my right hand for two of my fingers in 2010, I don't have near the range of motion I had prior to the surgery. For me it was more of an annoyance at the time, I had three rounds of steroid injection which all helped for awhile but ended up having the surgery. I had ignored too many injuries over the years which still re-surface from time to time, I didn't want to take a chance with my hands.

tg16

....and while your at it, tell me if you're feelin' lucky today.

Retro Grouch 

The "R" word.

I started riding recumbents after I broke both elbows (in a bike accident). Now I mention recumbents whenever somebody has any physical complaint related to the hands, arms or wrists. I use straight (hamster style) handlebars and thumb shifters so there's no weight on my hands and the only thing requiring grip strength is the brakes. YMMV

smoore

Thanks guys, good to hear I'm not alone. The release surgeries on my right hand worked wonderfully, praying the same results for the left.
O2Giant, were your finger injections as "memorable" as mine. I'll take the surgery over the injections any day!!

Rudy40

I am five weeks post-op for a left middle finger release surgery after two temporarily effective injections over a two year span. I still have noticeable pain at the incision site in my palm and maybe 75% recovery of range of motion even with three times a week PT. I decided in part to go with the surgery in November so that I could hopefully be on my bike with less discomfort by spring. I also like to fingerpick my guitar now and then but fretting chords was impossible. Now, just barely. I'm hopeful, but progress seems very slow. Dang. I probably waited too long to seek treatment and decide on the surgery. Still, much worse maladies avoided so far so I am grateful.

smoore

Thanks guys...appreicate your info and encouraging words.

Rudy40, with my two surgeries on my right hand I was about 85% after six weeks but still tender. If I remember correctly, things got progressively better throughout the year but at least 18-24mos to the point where I even forgot I had surgery. Good luck.

02Giant 

Do you mean, as the steroid went in, it felt like your fingers would burst?

smoore

I could feel the steroid go in and that wasn't pleasant, but in both cases the shots themselves directly into the inflamed joint just about had me on the ceiling. 1-10; a 20!

02Giant 

My injections were in my palm at the base of the two fingers at the A1 Pulley, the needle was aimed towards the fingers, I don't believe it was in the actual joint. I could feel the injection work its way from the base of my fingers to the tip of them. For me the injections only worked for about a month each time. I don't know if the short duration was related to me working construction at the time and the injury being on my dominant hand.

peterws

Must be an age thing. I got trigger thumb, and now cant bend it all the way back like I could; it affected my cycling particularly wi gear changing. Doc recommended a Steroid inj, normal procedure, and wouldnt do the surgery until this had been done. So nothing happened. Got arthritis in both hands at the same time. And now my shoulders been playing up.
That all seems to have settled down. I was lucky, had no real pain apart from the shoulder. Playing piano helps a lot wi the hands and my bikes ready to go.

But its raining. . . .

Wanderer

I have both hands, and one foot, tuned up, several times. I've got scars all over for it!

I'm happy to say, my hands and foot are as normal as they ever were (with the exception of arthritis that I never had when I was younger.)

You will be glad you did it, and will soon even forget the problem existed.

Grand Bois

This worked for me. I wore it for 5 weeks.

Trigger Finger Solution (TFS)

I had the condition in my right index finger. I suspect that it was caused by excessive mouse clicking.