Diabetes can be such a debilitating condition for anyone. With this sickness, you may be suffering from symptoms like frequent urination, constant thirst and hunger, sudden weight loss, blurry vision, and numbness. But did you know that diabetic people are prone to a trigger finger? This is a condition when your fingers can be stiff and painful when gripping due to inflamed tendons and swollen hands due to diabetes. When you’re suffering from this condition, you need to have a hand and wrist specialist treat your condition to alleviate your pain.
In this article, we’ll share with you what you need to know about diabetes and a trigger finger and what your treatment options are.
What to know about diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic or long-lasting health condition that affects how your body turns food into energy. This happens when your pancreas can no longer make insulin or your body cannot use the insulin it produces. As a result, high levels of blood sugar stay in your bloodstream, which increases your glucose level, which is a process known as hyperglycemia. Over time, this can lead to damages and failures of the organs in your body.
How diabetes causes trigger finger
People with diabetes are susceptible to a trigger finger. High blood sugar causes diabetic neuropathy that damages the nerves that send signals from your hands (and feet). As a result, you start to feel numbness in your fingers (and toes) and experience a burning, sharp, or aching pain. Over time, your fingers may lock when bent or even click when straightened.
However, keep in mind that there are differences between a nondiabetic and diabetic trigger finger. For this reason, the most effective treatment and the path to relief may be different for those with diabetes.
How to treat trigger finger
For the most part, a trigger finger may be treated with an injection of corticosteroids into the flexor tendon sheath. However, if this doesn’t work, minor surgery may be required to provide permanent relief. Take note of the following treatments:
- Non-Surgical Treatment: If you have minimal symptoms of a trigger finger, you may try non-invasive treatments that include oral anti-inflammatory medications, massage therapy, and even a splint to prevent triggering. The next level of treatment is the corticosteroid injection, as mentioned above.
- Surgical treatment: If you have a severe trigger finger condition that is very painful, you may need to have a complete release of the A1 pulley. This surgical treatment is a simple procedure that takes about 20 minutes with a high success rate.
Here at North Florida Hand and Wrist, we are committed to helping patients address their trigger finger symptoms and alleviate their pain through our friendly yet professional treatments. Book an appointment with one of our hand doctors in Jacksonville, FL, and you’ll get back to normal living in no time!
Conclusion
At this point, we’ve covered what you need to know about diabetes and a trigger finger and how they are both interrelated. To that end, be sure to consider the valuable information discussed, particularly the treatment options to address your condition and alleviate your pain. We hope this blog has shed some light on how you can treat your trigger finger brought by your diabetes!
Do you have diabetes and suffer from a trigger finger? Let our hand doctor in Jacksonville, FL assist you! As highly respected health professionals in the medical community, our specialists help patients alleviate their hand and wrist pain. For your trigger finger treatment, get in touch with us today to make an appointment!
