Joints locking up in fingers and toes: Symptoms and more

Some conditions cause the finger or toe joint tissue to thicken, which makes movement difficult. This, in turn, may affect how the joint bends and may cause the finger to feel like it is locking up.

Tendons surrounding the finger and toe joints control the movement of the digits. A sheath, called the synovial membrane, encloses the tendons. If the synovial membrane becomes inflamed, it can affect the tendon’s movement. The tendon may become stuck on the sheath and cause a finger or toe joint to lock in place.

This article discusses what finger and toe joint locking is, other associated symptoms, causes, and treatments alongside lifestyle measures that may help prevent or manage it.

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People also refer to locking or catching of the joints in the digits as stenosing tenosynovitis. When this occurs in the finger joints, people also call it “trigger finger,” but it can affect any finger joints.

Tendons are cord-like structures that attach the muscles to bones. When a specific muscle contracts, the flexor tendons pull on the bones of the fingers or toes, which causes them to bend.

Flexor tendons run from the forearm to the fingers’ ends across the palm. Each flexor tendon that leads to a finger or toe is encased in its structure, called a sheath. The sheaths attach to the finger and toe bones.

The bands of tissue — a pulley — sit along the sheaths, which hold the tendons near the bones as they flex and stretch.

In people with stenosing tenosynovitis, the pulley thickens, which makes it harder for the tendon to move, which in turn causes difficulty bending the joint of the finger or toe. The tendon may eventually become inflamed and develop nodules on its surface. When this happens, the bumps can catch on the pulley and cause a locking sensation.

Symptoms of stenosing tenosynovitis may occur after someone uses their hand for repetitive activities or may develop gradually due to other causes. Symptoms include:

• a digit, usually a finger, becoming locked in a bent position
• a popping or catching feeling when bending the digit
• pain when straightening or bending the digit joint
• a sensitive or painful lump at the base of the digit
• stiffness in the joint, especially upon waking, which may ease throughout the day

Doctors do not know the exact causes of finger and toe joint locking, but various risk factors can increase a person’s chances of developing the condition. Associated conditions include:

• Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disorder in which the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the joints, which causes inflammation in the fingers and toes.
• Gout: Crystals build up in the joints and affect their movement. Gout typically affects the big toe.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome: This occurs when the median nerve in the hand is compressed and can cause pain, numbness, and tingling.
• Issues affecting the thyroid: Conditions such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can affect the structure and function of the muscles and joints.
• Amyloidosis: This occurs when specific proteins in the body build up into deposits in the tissues and organs. This protein buildup could cause pain in the joints. 2021 research shows that people with amyloidosis commonly report trigger fingers. Further research must determine how the diagnostic process can help reduce the risk.
• Diabetes: This chronic condition affects how the body breaks down glucose from food and turns it into energy. Trigger finger is a possible complication that may affect people with diabetes, and medical professionals will consider these factors during diagnosis.
• Injury or trauma: For example, dislocation, when a bone slips out of its joint.
• Developmental: A child’s flexor tendon and sheath may not match in size, referred to as a pediatric trigger finger.

Infective tenosynovitis

Certain pathogens may result in infective tenosynovitis due to injury or the spread of infection. A 2022 article states that 2.5–9.4% of people will develop infectious tenosynovitis.

A person should consult a doctor if they suspect infection to receive a prompt diagnosis and determine the type of organism and treatment.

Common organisms include Staphylococcus aureus in 40–75% of cases and MRSA in 29% of cases.

Infectious tenosynovitis treatment varies based on the type of organism. Doctors will usually prescribe a course of antibiotics with its duration depending on the severity of the infection.

For early signs of infections, other possible treatments include sheath irrigation — cleaning the tendon sheath — and catheter-directed therapy. Debridement may be an option for people with late stages of infection, where doctors remove debris from an infected area.

Treatment for joint locking in the finger or toe depends on the cause and severity of the condition. It may include:

• resting the joints and avoiding activities that could worsen the condition
• performing gentle stretching exercises to help with stiffness and improve range of motion
• taking over-the-counter (OTC) medication to help with pain and inflammation, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• wearing a splint, especially while sleeping
• having a corticosteroid injection, which can reduce inflammation
• undergoing surgery, in some cases, to release the affected pulley and allow the tendon to glide more easily, which should stop the locking sensation in the digit

Lifestyle changes

A person may develop joint locking in the digits from repetitive activities. Avoiding or modifying repetitive activities — especially gripping or pinching hand motions — could help prevent locked joints.

Lifestyle measures to manage associated conditions may help avoid or improve joint locking. These may include following a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

Learn more about remedies for trigger finger.

Joints in the digits may lock when the membrane surrounding the tendons — the synovial sheath — becomes inflamed. This inflammation can cause difficulty bending or straightening the joint and cause a catching or locking sensation, which can be painful.

Experts do not know the exact causes of joints in the fingers and toes locking, but they associate joint locking with several other conditions. These include RA, carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes, and injuries such as dislocation.

People can treat joint locking in the digits with OTC medication, gentle stretching, rest, or splinting. In more severe cases, a doctor may need to administer a steroid injection, or a person may require surgery.

Trigger Finger: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

• What Is Trigger Finger?
• Trigger Finger Symptoms
• Causes of Trigger Finger
• Trigger Finger Risk Factors
• Trigger Finger Diagnosis
• Trigger Finger Treatment
• More

Trigger finger is a painful condition that makes your fingers or thumb catch or lock when you bend them. It can affect any finger or more than one finger at a time. You can also have it in both hands. You might hear it called stenosing tenosynovitis. When it affects your thumb, it’s called trigger thumb.

You might notice:

• A painful clicking or snapping when you bend or straighten your finger. It’s worse when your finger’s been still, and it gets better as you move it.
• Stiffness in your finger, especially in the morning
• Soreness or a bump at the base of the finger or thumb. Your doctor will call this a nodule.
• A popping or clicking as you move your finger
• A locked finger that you can’t straighten

Symptoms often start mild and get worse over time. It’s more likely to happen after a period of heavy hand use than after an injury. It’s often worse:

• In the morning
• When you grasp something firmly
• When you try to straighten your finger

Repeated movement or forceful use of your finger or thumb can lead to inflammation of a tendon, which can cause trigger finger.   

Tendons are surrounded by a tissue layer known as the synovial sheath, which allows tendons to slide easily. Sometimes, a tendon or the surrounding synovial sheath gets inflamed and swollen. Long-term irritation of the tendon sheath can lead to scarring and thickening that affect the tendon’s motion. When this happens, bending your finger or thumb pulls the inflamed tendon through a narrowed sheath and makes it snap or pop.

Things that make you more likely to have trigger finger include:

• Age. It usually shows up between ages 40 and 60.
• Sex. It’s more common in women than men.
• Health conditions.Diabetes, gout, and rheumatoid arthritis can lead to trigger finger.
• Job. It’s common among farmers, industrial workers, musicians, and anyone else who repeats finger and thumb movements.
• Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. It’s most common in the first 6 months after your operation.

There are no X-rays or lab tests to diagnose trigger finger. Your doctor will do a physical exam of your hand and fingers, and they’ll ask about your symptoms.

Treatment depends on how severe your symptoms are. Most of the time, you’ll start with:

• Rest. Try not to move the finger or thumb. You may need to take time away from the activity that’s causing the problem. If you can’t quit, you might try padded gloves.
• Splints. Your doctor can give you one designed to keep your finger still.
• Stretching exercises. These gentle moves may ease stiffness and improve range of motion.
• NSAIDs. Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter drugs that fight inflammation, like ibuprofen or naproxen.
• Steroid injections. They might give you a steroid shot into the tendon sheath. It can keep your symptoms at bay for a year or more, but you could need two shots to get results.

Surgery

If you have severe symptoms or if other treatments don’t work, your doctor may suggest surgery. There are two types:

• Percutaneous release. The doctor numbs the palm of your hand and inserts a needle into the area around the affected tendon. They move the needle and your finger to loosen the tendon and make it work smoothly. This usually happens in the doctor’s office. They might use ultrasound to see where the tip of the needle is. This will help make sure they don’t damage your tendon or nearby nerves.
• Tenolysis or trigger finger release surgery. The doctor makes a small cut at the base of the finger and opens the sheath around the tendon. This usually happens in an operating room.

Surgery recovery

The time it takes to get better depends on your condition. The choice of treatment also affects recovery. For example, you may need to wear a splint for 6 weeks. But most patients with trigger finger recover within a few weeks by resting the finger and using anti-inflammatory drugs.

You should be able to move your finger just after surgery. Raising your hand above your heart can ease swelling and pain. Full recovery may take a few weeks, but swelling and stiffness may linger for 6 months.

If your finger was very stiff before surgery, your doctor will probably suggest physical therapy to teach you exercises to help loosen it.

Complications of trigger finger surgery

Any surgical procedure has some risks. Surgery for trigger finger may lead to complications like:

• Infection
• Finger stiffness or pain
• Scarring and tenderness
• Nerve damage
• Tendon in the wrong position (bowstringing)
• Pain and swelling in your hand (complex regional pain syndrome or CRPS). This usually goes away over a few months.

Top Picks

Arthritis of the joints of the hands, feet and fingers: types, symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

Co-author, editor and medical expert – Anna Alexandrovna Petrashevich.

Editor and medical expert – Harutyunyan Mariam Harutyunovna

Views: 284 278

Last update date: 06/27/2023

Average reading time: 4 minutes

Content:

Causes of Arthritis
Arthritis Pain Treatment
Arthritis Prevention
Arthritis Pain Educational Video

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Diseases of the joints are widespread in society, they are most often accompanied by acute or constant aching pain that is difficult to relieve. Arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the joints. To date, 150 varieties of arthritis are known. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every tenth person suffers from one or another arthritic disease. Diseases can progress over the years, leading to thinning and deformation of the articular tissues, a significant decrease in the quality of life of the patient. Joint pain in arthritis is the main symptom that is characteristic of all forms of the disease. It is complemented by swelling, hyperemia, limitation of mobility and morning stiffness ¹ .

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Causes of arthritis (knee, shoulder and fingers)

There are three main groups of arthritis: independent forms of arthritis, traumatic arthritis and arthritis associated with other diseases ² . Arthritis can develop slowly and gradually (chronic forms) or suddenly and abruptly (acute forms) ² . The exact causes of the onset of an independent disease of arthritis can be difficult to establish.

The cause of inflammation in the joint may be local or general infection, trauma, allergies, autoimmune disorders, metabolic disorders, hormonal disorders, etc. ^1.10 . However, the cause of some severe inflammatory joint diseases is still not well understood. Factors contributing to the development of arthritis are hypothermia, physical overload of the joint, hereditary predisposition ³ .

Each type of arthritis has its own cause, which should be addressed by the main treatment. Symptoms of arthritis can also vary depending on the form of the disease and its type, but joint pain is an inevitable companion of any arthritis. Arthritis is often accompanied by fever, swelling and redness in the joint area, impaired motor function of the joint, weakness and weight loss, morning stiffness ¹ . As the disease progresses, the pain becomes more intense and exhausts the patient. At the same time, pain in arthritis is spontaneous, most intense in the second half of the night and in the morning, decreases after movement ⁹ .

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Arthritis pain treatment

Arthritis treatment is lengthy, takes more than one month and requires compliance with all medical prescriptions. The sooner you contact a competent specialist, the higher the likelihood of recovery or a significant reduction in relapses. In the acute period, when the pain is severe, it is necessary to exclude direct loads on the joints of the arms and legs. But you can, with the permission of a doctor, go swimming, light warm-up, so as not to lose shape and skills ⁴ .

To get rid of joint pain, your doctor may recommend taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as part of a complex treatment for arthritis ⁵ . After an acute period of the disease and a decrease in signs of inflammation, physiotherapy is used: UV radiation, electrophoresis, massage, exercise therapy ⁶ .

Minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery or arthroplasty is recommended if conservative therapy fails ⁷ .

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Arthritis prevention

Arthritis prevention is about avoiding and eliminating all possible provoking factors. A healthy lifestyle, weight control, a balanced diet, avoidance of excessive alcohol consumption and regular preventive examinations by a doctor will significantly reduce the likelihood of developing arthritis, and following all the doctor’s recommendations in the early stages of the development of diseases will significantly increase the likelihood of recovery or significantly reduce the likelihood of relapses ⁸ .

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The information in this article is for reference only and does not replace professional medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, contact a qualified specialist.

Educational video “Pain in arthritis and arthrosis”

References:

1. Mazurov V. I., Lila A. M., Povzun A. S. Differential diagnosis in acute articular syndrome (lecture) // Bulletin of the North-Western State Medical University. II Mechnikov. – 2012. – T. 4. – No. 3.
2. Mesnikova IL Ambulatory aspects of management of patients with articular syndrome. – 2007.
3. Alekseeva LI, Taskina EA, Kashevarova NG Osteoarthritis: epidemiology, classification, risk factors and progression, clinic, diagnostics, treatment //Modern rheumatology. – 2019. – T. 13. – No. 2.
4. Myatyga E. N., Myatyga D. S., Goncharuk N. V. Therapeutic physical culture in rheumatoid arthritis at the stationary stage // Slobozhansky scientific and sports bulletin. – 2012. – no. 2. – S. 128-131.
5. Povzun AS, Lila AM, Mazurov VI Principles of treatment for acute articular syndrome //Bulletin of the North-Western State Medical University. II Mechnikov. – 2013. – T. 5. – No. 1.
6. Radaikina OG et al. EFFICIENCY OF NON-DRUG TREATMENT OF PATIENTS WITH DISEASES OF THE JOINTS //Modern problems of science and education. – 2020. – no. 3. – S. 137-137.
7. Kolomatsky VV et al. endoprosthetics of metacarpophalangeal joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis // Scientific and practical rheumatology. – 2006. – no. 4.
8. Strakhov MA et al. Features of the treatment and prevention of osteoarthritis at a young age //BC. – 2016. – T. 24. – No. 8. – S. 498-504.
9. Filonenko S. P., Yakushin S. S. Pain in the joints: dif. diagnostics. – GEOTAR-Media, 2010.
10. Zaikov SV, Dmitrieva EN Drug allergy and its immunocomplex manifestations //News of Medicine and Pharmacy. – 2012. – no. 435. – S. 58-65.

You may also be interested in:

• Knee Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Treatment of pain syndrome with physiotherapy exercises

Treatment of polyarthritis of the joints company blog

Symptoms of polyarthritis: how to recognize the disease. Causes and typology of the disease. Methods of treatment and diagnostics.

“The disease twisted” – we are sure you are familiar with a similar phrase. It describes the nature of polyarthritis as accurately as possible. Earlier, we considered the causes and symptoms of such a disease as arthritis – inflammation of the joints. The prefix “poly” indicates plurality. Polyarthritis is an inflammation of three or more joints or joint groups.

Of course, today you will not surprise anyone with pain in the joints. This problem affects patients of different ages: young people, their older relatives, the elderly. However, this does not make the disease any less serious. Polyarthritis not only causes severe pain and discomfort. He also threatens a person to make him an invalid. Unfortunately, such an outcome is also possible if the disease is started and due attention is not paid to the symptoms and manifestations of the disease. Let’s talk about the symptoms of polyarthritis first.

Make an appointment with an orthopedic traumatologist and get an effective treatment program :

Symptoms of polyarthritis: how to recognize the disease

As soon as a person feels signs of “twisting” and pain in the limbs, he himself understands that something is wrong with the joints. However, polyarthritis is similar in symptoms to a number of other diseases. What are its characteristics?

• Joint pain (twisting, tightness, heaviness).
• Change in the shape of the joint, swelling, redness of the skin.
• Multiple swelling (in the area of ​​several joints) and thickening of the limbs.
• Limitation of the range of motion in the damaged area, especially in the morning.
• Feeling of stiffness: after a long period of rest, it is difficult for you to physically load the area with affected joints.
• Increased body temperature, general malaise.

Polyarthritis can develop both suddenly and over several months.

Causes of disease

Inflammatory processes in the joint bag are provoked by many factors. For example, injuries to the limbs or infections that penetrate the joints (bacterial, viral, fungal). Another cause of inflammation is the so-called deposition of salts, which occurs due to metabolic disorders. As a result – gout, amyloidosis, hemochromatosis. Endocrine diseases, vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), overweight, allergies, hypothermia, and psoriasis are also involved in inflammation of the joints.

If you postpone the treatment of polyarthritis, over time, the damaged articular tissue forms outgrowths, bone neoplasms that completely block the work of the joint.

Typology of disease

Polyarthritis is classified depending on the reasons that provoked the disease:

• Rheumatoid arthritis is the most “painful” type of inflammation that causes severe swelling and swelling of the affected joints. More often it proceeds as a symmetrical inflammation of the small joints of the hands and feet.
• Crystalline polyarthritis is provoked by salt deposits that affect the joints.
• Reactive polyarthritis is a consequence of infectious diseases (including herpes, SARS). Most often manifests itself 2-4 weeks after a viral or bactericidal infection. It also belongs to the most “painful” types of polyarthritis.
• Psoriatic inflammation of a group of joints is accompanied by a characteristic skin lesion (the joints become inflamed asymmetrically).
• Post-traumatic polyarthritis occurs as a result of trauma, dislocation, joint cracks.

Diagnosis of polyarthritis

For an accurate diagnosis, the doctor conducts a survey and examination of the patient. It is supplemented by laboratory research data – blood, urine, joint fluid analysis. From hardware studies, X-ray data and ultrasound diagnostics are needed, which allow determining the degree of joint damage, the severity of the inflammatory process, and its cause.

Treatment

First of all, a specialist will find out the reasons that led to inflammation of a whole group of joints. From drug therapy, anti-inflammatory drugs will be prescribed, intra-articular and peri-articular injections of hormonal drugs are possible. If hormone therapy does not give the desired result, more serious drugs may be prescribed – immunosuppressants that inhibit the activity of the immune system. In any case, to support the body, the patient will need to strengthen the immune system by taking vitamins and minerals.