Pain guide · Wrist and hand pain

Trigger finger and trigger thumb: splints, injections, surgery and gentle exercises

With trigger finger, a finger or thumb gets stuck bent and then clicks or pops as it straightens. There may be pain in the finger, thumb or palm and stiffness, and you may need to push it straight with the other hand. It is often worse in the morning and with gripping. It happens when a tendon thickens and catches at the entrance of its tunnel (a pulley) at the base of the finger.

It can get better on its own. A finger splint and steroid injections have the most evidence, and surgery leads to the fewest recurrences. No trials have tested exercise; the gentle glides on this page keep the finger moving without forcing it.

3-stage exercise plan When to get help 16 sourcesUpdated 17 October 2026

When to get help first

Exercise is for pain that has been checked or is clearly mild and settling.

Get urgent medical help if

Call 999 or go to A&E after an injury (don't drive yourself) if the arm, wrist or hand is numb, tingling or has pins and needles; a bone is sticking out or a bad cut is bleeding heavily; or the wrist, thumb or a finger has changed shape, is at an odd angle, or has turned blue, grey, white or cold.
Same day: a joint or lump that is hot, red and swollen, or hand or wrist pain with a high temperature or feeling hot, cold or shivery. It could be an infection or gout.
Same day (NHS 111): you can't straighten the tip of a finger after catching it. It may be mallet finger.
Same day: you have lost the feeling in part or all of your hand.

See a doctor or physiotherapist if

Not improved after 2 weeks of looking after it at home, getting worse, keeps coming back, or stopping you doing normal activities. In many areas you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy.
Fingers bent into the palm so you can't put your hand flat.
You have diabetes and a hand problem: the NHS says hand problems can be more serious if you have diabetes.

Understand it

Who gets itEmerging evidence

US orthopaedic surgeons say it affects about 2% of people, most often the ring finger and the thumb, mostly women aged 40 to 60, and people with diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis or amyloidosis.

Sources 2, 1

Look-alikes

A finger that won't straighten isn't always trigger finger.

Lumps or cords in the palm pulling the ring or little finger in, usually painless and slowly worse over months or years: Dupuytren's contracture. See a GP if you can't put your hand flat.
The end of a finger droops and won't straighten after you caught it: mallet finger. Get same-day advice.

Sources 12, 13, 14

What helps, and how strong the evidence is

Steroid injections work in the short term, and about half lastEmerging evidence

In a Dutch GP trial of 50 people, one or two steroid injections gave a satisfactory result in 16 of 25 people, against 5 of 25 with a saline injection, with effects lasting up to 12 months and few side effects. A Cochrane review of 2 small trials also found steroid plus local anaesthetic beat anaesthetic alone at 4 weeks.

In a US series of 366 first injections followed for 5 to 10 years, 45% needed no further treatment; women with a single trigger finger did best (56%), and 84% of the failures happened within 2 years. Injections are less likely to work in people with diabetes, long-standing triggering or a trigger thumb, and can raise blood sugar for about 10 to 14 days in people with diabetes who take insulin.

Sources 7, 6, 8, 2

Surgery means fewer recurrencesEmerging evidence

A Cochrane review (14 trials, 1,260 people) found open surgery probably leads to fewer recurrences at 6 to 12 months than an injection (about 6.5% against 38.5%; low-quality evidence), but more palm pain in the first week. The NHS says surgery is only done if other treatments haven't worked.

Sources 9, 1

A finger splint for 6 to 10 weeks can helpEmerging evidence

Reviews of mostly small, low-level studies found splints that block one joint of the affected finger for 6 to 10 weeks reduced pain and catching in the short term, with reported success rates up to 97% and the best results when worn full time. In some studies a splint at the middle finger joint was more comfortable and slightly more effective than one at the knuckle. The NHS lists splinting the finger straight as a treatment, and an NHS hand-therapy leaflet suggests a short splint at the base of the finger at night, especially if it triggers overnight.

Sources 10, 11, 1, 3

Exercise hasn't been testedMixed evidence

There are no trials. US orthopaedic surgeons say gentle stretching can reduce stiffness and improve movement. An NHS hand-therapy leaflet gives modified tendon glides alongside warm-water soaks, ice massage at the base of the finger, ibuprofen gel if it suits you, and less repetitive gripping. They are safe, as long as you never force a locked finger.

Sources 2, 3

How much pain is OK while you exercise?

The wrist and hand pain rule

Some discomfort during these exercises is fine and doesn't mean you are doing damage. Keep it to about 5 out of 10 or less. It should settle within half an hour or so, and your hand should be no worse the next morning. If it is, do fewer, smaller or lighter next time, not nothing. An NHS wrist rehabilitation booklet uses the same limit: an unpleasant stretch of about 5 out of 10 that settles within 30 minutes.

Tingling and numbness are different: stop and get advice if an exercise brings them on and they don't fade quickly, or if your grip or thumb gets weaker.

Don't rest the hand completely for long, either: for repetitive strain, the NHS says resting for more than a few days makes the area weaker and less flexible. If a joint becomes hot, red and swollen, stop and get it checked.

Sources 15, 16

The exercise plan: 3 stages

Start at the first stage. Each move opens a full guide with a 3D demo.

Stage 1

Settle: splint, warm and glide gently

Weeks 0 to 6 or longer. A finger splint at night (and in the day if it helps) for 6 to 10 weeks. Soak the hand in warm water, then ease the finger straight gently; never force a locked finger. The glide dose is from an NHS hand-therapy leaflet; the rest is editorial.

Tendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises) demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

5 to 10 reps of each position, 4 times a day · The trigger finger version: hook, tabletop and a gently assisted full fist

Harder: Ball squeeze

Wrist & forearm flow demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoWrist & forearm flowBeginner · No equipment

10 slow reps · With the fingers relaxed

Harder: Wrist flexor stretch

Move on when: The finger catches less often and less painfully.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 2

Build: the full glide sequence

When the catching is less frequent. Keep the splint at night if it still triggers overnight.

3D demoTendon glides (hand tendon gliding exercises)Beginner · No equipment

4 to 6 of each position, 5 s holds · The full sequence, up to 4 times a day, as in an NHS leaflet

Harder: Ball squeeze

Band finger extension demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBand finger extensionBeginner · A band

2 sets of 10 · A light band (editorial)

Easier: Ball squeeze · Harder: Band overhead triceps extension

Move on when: No triggering for 2 weeks or more (editorial).

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

Stage 3

Strengthen: grip comes back last

Once it hasn't triggered for 2 weeks or more. Doses are editorial.

Ball squeeze demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoBall squeezeBeginner · Other / check instructions

2 sets of 10 · A soft ball; stop if the finger catches

Harder: Band finger extension

Farmer's carry demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoFarmer's carryBeginner · A dumbbell + A kettlebell

3 walks of 20 m · Thick or padded handles if gripping a thin handle brings it on

Harder: Suitcase carry

Hammer curl demonstrated on the 3D figure

3D demoHammer curlBeginner · A dumbbell

2 sets of 10

Easier: Seated dumbbell curl · Harder: Alternating hammer curl

Move on when: Gripping is back to normal without catching. If it returns, go back a stage and see a GP about an injection or splint.

Follow along: a timer, a cue and the next move, one step at a time.

What to change for now

After trigger finger surgery

Follow your surgeon's instructions. One NHS trust gives tendon gliding exercises after trigger finger and other hand surgery: 10 repetitions with 10-second holds, every 1 to 2 hours.

Source 5

Don't force a stuck finger

Ease it straight gently, ideally after warming your hand. The NHS leaflet notes that the more often the finger gets stuck, the more irritated the tendon becomes.

Source 3

Positions to swap, and why

Habit or position	Why it matters	Instead
Repetitive or forceful gripping (scissors, secateurs, tools)	An NHS leaflet says it may aggravate the tendon, and the NHS advises cutting down activities that make it worse.	Larger, padded handles; spring-loaded scissors; breaks (editorial).
Forcing a stuck finger straight	It hurts and irritates the tendon; the NHS leaflet advises easing it straight gently.	Warm the hand first, then straighten it gently.
Letting the finger lock again and again	The more it gets stuck, the more irritated the tendon becomes.	A night splint; avoid the grip that triggers it for now.
Grip trainers and stress balls while it is catching	Hard gripping makes it catch (editorial).	Leave grip strengthening until it has stopped triggering.

More moves for this area

Questions people ask

Can trigger finger go away on its own?

Sometimes, the NHS says. A splint, warmth and gentle movement are reasonable while you wait, and an injection is the next step if it doesn't settle.

Do trigger finger exercises work?

No trials have tested them. US orthopaedic surgeons say gentle stretching can reduce stiffness, and NHS hand-therapy leaflets use modified tendon glides alongside a splint. They are safe if you don't force a locked finger.

Should I wear a splint for trigger finger?

It is reasonable: reviews of mostly small studies found a splint that blocks one joint of the finger for 6 to 10 weeks reduced pain and catching in the short term, best when worn full time.

How well do steroid injections work for trigger finger?

Better than a placebo injection in the short term (16 of 25 people against 5 of 25 in one trial). After a single injection, 45% needed no further treatment over 5 to 10 years in a US series.

When is surgery better for trigger finger?

When injections fail or it keeps coming back. Compared with an injection, surgery led to fewer recurrences at 6 to 12 months (about 6.5% against 38.5%), with more palm pain in the first week.

Is trigger thumb different?

It is the same condition in the thumb. Injections are a little less likely to work in a trigger thumb, and in people with diabetes or long-standing triggering.

Which exercises help after trigger finger surgery?

Follow your surgeon's instructions. One NHS trust gives tendon gliding exercises after hand surgery: 10 repetitions with 10-second holds, every 1 to 2 hours.

Other pain guides

Sources

Exercise education, not a diagnosis or treatment plan. It is written from the guidelines and studies listed above; review by a clinician is pending. If your pain follows an injury, is severe, is getting worse, or comes with any warning sign listed on this page, get it assessed. Health disclaimer.