Effective Natural Remedies for Trigger Finger Relief

Icing +

1 User Review
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Posted by Susan (Greenfield, Ma, Usa) on 06/12/2012
★★★★★

I cured a middle finger trigger by limiting movement of the digit, icing for 10 - 15 minutes several times a day and doing deep massage of the muscles in the forearm that work the fingers. When I focused on the muscles for the middle finger they were very tight and painful, perhaps from spasm. I broke the spasm with pressure and massaged the muscle further. In a month or two pain, swelling and locking were gone in this instance. I am careful now to use a padded bicycling glove to protect the tendons in the palm when I garden, rake and do repairs at my house. I am careful to not make repetitive grips that tax the fingers.


Juice Cleanse

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Charlene (Tx) on 09/17/2015
★★★★★

I had trigger finger for a year. I went on a juice cleanse and it disappeared. Prior to the juice fast, I did a colon cleanse, then a kidney gal-bladder cleanse, I used organic fresh squeezed OJ for the juice cleanse, also taking a detox tincture. So it was about 5 weeks of cleansing....I feel totally great. My other arthritis symptoms have also disappeared. I lost 13 pounds during juice cleanse.


Magnesium

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Medsec (Cincinnati) on 01/21/2015
★★★★★

I've had quite good success with magnesium oil for both the carpal tunnel and trigger finger, not immediate, but after several weeks. Still have numbness in the trigger finger (thumb).


Magnesium
Posted by Toourlady89 (Ca, Usa) on 10/03/2013
★★★★★

To go back to the Magnesium suggestion: There are many forms of Magnesium.

Magnesium Oil or Mg Chloride Spray would be the better form of Magnesium for trigger finger. Apply it on to both hands as often as you can. Mg oil will have faster results thru the skin and then to the capillaries and relax the finger.

On the other hand, trigger finger could be a symptom of lack of Mg. Most of the population is unaware that most of us - 80% to 90% have Mg deficiency due to the quality of food that is available at the stores. Lack of it causes hundreds of symptoms, trigger finger being one of them.

Chelated Mg Glycinate, is a form that is best absorbed orally and will not have the undesired laxative effect .

Note that the Mg most available at the stores is Mg Oxide avoid this kind as this is a laxative. Mg Glycinate should be at health food stores and or online.

Replied by Dave
(Fountain Inn, Sc)
10/04/2013

Hello Toourlady89;

Thank you so much for your break down of various magnesiums. You define four of them; the one I take orally is Mag citrate. I have another that is Mag carbonate. Epsom Salts is Mag sulfate. You discuss the last one as a laxative but I use that for Mag/Salts baths too. Is that your understanding? That one is the best to use for baths... Sulfate (Epsom salts) and the Mag Oil (so called) best for topical application is Mag chloride, and you mention chelated Mag Glycinate for oral and say to avoid the one in stores which you say is Mag Oxide.

OK. Now is Mag Oxide Epsom salts? Isn't that Mag Sulfate which is Epsom salts? That's what's in the stores or do you equate Oxide with Sulfate.

And is the kind you orally take .... Glycinate... Is that close to Mag Citrate?

Your break out helped. I do need to get clarified some more... Not your fault... Mine. I need a list; something like:

Mag a .... does x

Mag b .....does y

Mag c .... Does z

Mag d .... What ever you do don't take Mag d, cause it's been known to cause third generation mice to lose their tails!!!!

I've thought that Mag in its various forms are basically the same thing; formulated or compounded differently but with the same chemical effect. And the point is if you take or ingest in any way (baths with Sulfate or swallow in citrate) you're still getting the magnesium.

If someone would disabuse me of the above idea; is that previous paragraph a misconception?

It's just that we see in the discussions of Magnesium particular Mags are mentioned and I'm always wondering if they are actually specialty or are they in essence fungible? (I mean interchangable and really the same for all practical purposes.)

Thanks for helping,

Dave

(You know I really should be more careful; inserting bits of humor ... Next thing you know... All over social media and suddenly on the national news: Flash: Magnesium causes tail loss... Take with caution... FDA begins investigation.)

Replied by Mike
(Denver, Colorado)
10/04/2013

Dave: Dead sea salt has 100mg of magnesium per gram and costs 1 cent.


MSM, Collagen, and PABA

1 User Review
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Posted by Hound (California) on 04/03/2018
★★★★★

1 teaspoon MSM crystals, mixed in 2 or 3 ounces of water, 1 UC-II (standardized chicken cartilage - providing undenatured type II collagen - 10 mg). (take on an empty stomach), and 6-500 mg capsules of PABA. My thumb was frozen and useless.


Noni Juice

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Joyce (South Carolina) on 01/18/2016
★★★★★

I had a ganglia cyst on my right wrist for over 10 years. Terribly painful. I was young and very active, but would often wear a splint because of the pain. Doctor said only surgery would fix it. I had pounded that bump with books, hammers, anything I could find and it would bust and then grow right back.

At the same time, My best friend knew I was having problems with my thyroid and gave me a bottle of pure (the original) Noni juice. I took 1 tablespoon 2x a day for a month, to see if it would help my thyroid issues. I did not notice a difference in my thyroid, but my ganglia cyst just dissolved and never returned. I have been ganglia cyst free now for many years.

I don't know why it worked. Maybe it was just something I was missing in my diet. I did not expect it, but am sooooo happy.


Oregano Oil, Sesame Oil

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
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Posted by Joyce (South Carolina) on 01/18/2016
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

My trigger finger increased in intensity and immobility until I could not bend it anymore. The doctor said that surgery was my only option. It got so painful that I kept it splinted day and night for months. It was NOT improving in ANY fashion.

Then, I got a massive tooth infection.

To back off the tooth infection, I started taking 5 drops of 100% oregano oil in 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and 1/4 cup warm water 3x/day.

I took this concoction for weeks and during that time, I noticed changes in my trigger thumb problem. Soon, I could bend my thumb without the excruciating 'pop' and following pain ...my thumb was getting it's mobility back!

When I got the tooth dealt with, I stopped taking the oregano but kept taking a swallow (3 tsp?) of the sesame seed oil every day, and my thumb continued getting better until I was 100% normal.

I type at least 2 hours a day at my work. I play tennis, Frisbee golf, and many other sports. It feels great. :)

I have perfect mobility now with no pain. It has been over two years now. There has been a couple times that I felt a little stiffness in the thumb..., I just took sesame seed oil that day and it stopped.

I am not sure whether it was the oregano, sesame oil or both for the initial healing.

I encourage others to just keep seeking. You never know what may be missing in your diet to encourage healing. The body is an incredible design that seems to know what to do if we just provide it the correct tools to work with.

Replied by Peg
(Upstate Ny)
02/07/2016

Just joining this conversation. I started having bad pain in my thumb last summer; I work as a gardener so I figured I sprained it and just "overdid" it. Also I do a lot of freelance work online on my laptop. Went to an orthopedist and he says it is trigger finger (also have this in my ring finger of right and left hands) and is suggesting cortisone or surgery for the thumb. The surgery idea scares me a bit and I am no way getting a steroid injection. One friend suggested acupuncture and I have read about good results from this. Also the taping! Sounds like that would help; I got a thumb brace but it seems to make the pain worse.

The dietary suggestions to ease inflammation intrigue me too, as I have done a lot of research in this area already. So much conflicting info out there! One "anti-inflammation diet" I read about suggested basing the entire diet on corn and wheat; huh? I try to avoid grains and processed foods but this winter have been sliding a bit on that. I take calcium-magnesium-zinc supplements 2-3x a week.

The sesame oil story I also found intriguing; and also wondered if the oregano oil was useful at first. Oregano (essential) oil is a very strong anti-microbial, but I have not used it (I prefer to use tea tree or lavender internally, for upper respiratory infections, a drop in a small spoonful of honey 2-3x a day works great when a sore through is coming on). I already knew fresh pineapple was very healing for inflammation; I eat fresh fruit first thing every morning, which is alkalizing (the confusion over "acidity" in the diet is not surprising since many acidic-tasting foods like citrus actually increase alkalinity). I want to try cutting out all wheat and dairy for a couple of weeks and see if that helps; the wheat is not too hard for me but cutting out dairy will be!

So, diet and acupuncture and taping are going to be my first line of treatment; after that I will consider surgery. The pain has gotten very bad and my right thumb looks bent. :-( I appreciate everyone's anecdotes and advice.

Replied by Joyce
(South Carolina)
02/07/2016

I wanted to respond to this because I was the one that used the oregano oil and sesame oil. Since the recovery of the trigger finger, I try to keep an alkalinizing diet too and it is not uncommon for me to take MSM. rheumatoid arthritis runs in the family and I start feeling my joints start to hurt. When I direct my diet towards alkalinizing and take good oils and MSM...the joint pain goes away.


Over the Counter

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Ava (Naples) on 04/23/2012
★★★★★

Trigger fingers and thumb is caused by inflammation in the joint. Simply take one Anti-inflammatory pill every day. I took Ibuprofen, one a day. In about two weeks or less it will be gone. I had a trigger finger in the right hand and trigger thumb on the left... now totally gone.


Paper Tube

1 User Review
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  100%

Posted by Pfmills (East Killingly, Ct. Usa) on 03/15/2011
★★★★★

I've had "trigger finger" in my left little finger, and cured it by sliding a handmade semi stiff paper tube over it at nite. ..now have TF in my right hand ring finger.. Doing the same thing to cure it, and it DOES cure it.. But takes months.. Have patience.
PF Mills


Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate (P5P)

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
  100%

Posted by Pep (Boston, MA) on 07/26/2024
★★★★★

Trigger Finger, Cracking Knees, and Plantar Fasciitis

I started taking P5P 50 mg once a day, it's been 3 weeks. I have noticed pain relief from my ring trigger finger and plantar fasciitis. I can slowly make a fist again and started walking on the treadmill as well. I also had a lot of cracking in my knees. That has greatly reduced. After reading this article, I will start taking the P5P 3x's/day. Thank you for this great website.

Replied by Marilyn
(Nebraska)
09/22/2024

https://youtu.be/HGLlIgOak24?si=tQQD4s2mvEEpJvt7

Dr. Jonathan Wright recommendation of P5P (Vit B6) for Trigger Finger.

https://youtu.be/HGLlIgOak24?si=rbmOIBs9IT32hsyM

Dr. Jonathan Wright talking about Dr. John Ellis's 3 books on Vit. B6.


Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate (P5P)
Posted by Niecie (Covina, CA) on 05/21/2020
★★★★★

Trigger finger seems to be a vitamin B6 deficiency. My mom had a severe case for years. She could not bend her finger and had pain. I began giving her vitamin B6 in P-5-P (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) form. 50 mg 3x/day. Within a few weeks all pain was gone and she had full movement. I then reduced her dose to 50mg twice a day and still no symptoms. Truly a miracle! This remedy is also good for carpal tunnel syndrome.


Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate (P5P)
Posted by Mimi (San Diego ) on 06/10/2019
★★★★★

Hello. I had trigger finger really bad a year ago. Tried everything on this site. Did not work. I did more research and Pyridoxal 5 Phosphate (P5P) WORKS....gone gone! I took 3 a day for 7 months and GONE. I still take 1 a day and I have absolutely no stiffness. Get it at a health food store. May help arthritus.


Quit Coffee

1 User Review
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Posted by David Barnes (Villa Rica Ga.) on 08/28/2021
★★★★★

I had trigger finger for about a year, some days it worse than others. And then, it magically went away on its own. Then after a few days, it magically came back. Then it magically disappeared again!!

What did I do differently in the days when it went away? I simply stopped drinking keurig Coffee for about a week. I thought, maybe it's the BPA in the plastic, so using a french press, I made some coffee which came from a Keurig pod. Next morning the Trigger Finger was back. It's definitely the coffee!! Why, I don't know, but coffee has small traces of mold in it and I believe that's the cause.


Rescue Remedy Cream and Essential Oils

1 User Review
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  100%

Posted by Linda (Gilsum, New Hampshire) on 05/26/2008
★★★★★

Trigger Finger Thumb Pain and Stiffness: I had looked at this site the other night and on a whim decided to try one of the recommendations since I had the oils on hand. Someone had suggested lavender oil. I pulled out my essential oils and mixed a dab of Rescue Remedy Cream, three drops of lavender oil and three drops of lemongrass oil (my info had said it was good for athritis)and rubbed it thoroughly into my hands. I have done this three or four times now and even though I have been under a lot of stress, did some major gardening/digging, took a hike with my hiking stick and played my cello, the stiffness has eased tremendously. The clicking is still there but the nodule at the base of my thumb is less tender and the tendon is less stiff. I have tried other remedies with absolutely no relief so I am sure this is not a placebo effect.


Rule Out the Water

1 User Review
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Posted by Deirdre (CT) on 01/15/2021
★★★★★

Editor's Choice

I want to give an update to my trigger thumb issue that I wrote about last summer. I tried many of the remedies listed on EC, topically and internally, and none helped at all. After one of my thumbs basically froze in place because the tendon was so inflamed, I decided to see a hand specialist about it at the end of September. He gave me a cortisone shot in each thumb and said it would take several weeks to heal. There was definitely improvement after about 3 weeks, however the rest of my fingers were still feeling oddly arthritic.

As mentioned in my first post on the subject, besides a possible karate training injury, I had also purchased a Berkey Stainless Steel Water Filtration canister and started drinking the amazingly purified water right around the same time the trigger and arthritis finger symptoms appeared out of the blue.

Well, when healing was still moving very slowly a month after the cortisone shot, I decided to stop drinking the filtered water from my Berkey just to rule it out. Well guess what. Within a few days, all arthritis and trigger finger symptoms in both hands COMPLETELY disappeared!

People often mention to avoid distilled water because it can deplete critical nutrients from your body. However they rarely mention the same about purified water. Just wanted to put it out there that if you have sudden onset of arthritis in your hands (or elsewhere for that matter) or trigger finger, you might want to change your drinking water source and see if that helps.

It was an easy fix, but took a few months to figure out!

I hope this information helps someone else.

Replied by Madelyn
(Idaho)
01/15/2021

This is fascinating Deirdre.

What type of water did you start drinking instead?

I've been drinking Berkey filtered tap water for years. Might be a good idea to change things up for a while!

Marshagail
(Southeast usa)
04/23/2024

It's the aluminum in the B system! Just read about it & was v surprised. I use only distilled water & add in the minerals - several mineral supplements available but I just shake some Himalayan salt into the gallon jugs when I open them - sure makes my nails grow! Sooooo much healthier since I stopped drinking faucet (fluoride) water!

Replied by Tanya
(Bc)
08/05/2021

Okay that's fascinating because I also have a stainless steel Berkey with the black Berkey filters and my issue started around the same time. I'm going to try drinking the municipal water and see if it makes a difference.

Thank you for the due diligence and the update, it is appreciated!

Adrian
(Oregon)
09/21/2022

Correlation does not imply causation. I highly recommend distilled water. Please do not go back to your municipal supply. I've provided a few links that will hopefully clarify some of the misnomers behind distilled water and reasons why people should be drinking it.

Tap water analysis- Three reason why I drink distilled water https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7d2Q4ONZJM

Distilled water - What doctors and people say https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27Xqfz5wZY8&t=696s

"Fluoride: Poison on tap" https://www.vissestormdds.com/news/44-fluoride-poison-on-tap-full-documentary

People should get their minerals from food, not water.

Replied by Deirdre
(Connecticut)
08/05/2021

Hi Tanya,

Yes, various water filtration devices can certainly pull essential vitamins and minerals from the body, so we all need to be watchful of that.

Please look into the research for high dose Vitamin B-6 for trigger finger. It can take up to 6 months for it to work depending on how bad your fingers are when you start, but there is research dating back decades showing that carpal tunnel and trigger finger are caused by b-6 deficiency caused by hormonal changes, especially in women. There's a great book on the subject called Vitamin B-6 Therapy by John Ellis, MD published in 1999 that anyone with these issues should read.

I had to go in for a second cortisone shot a couple of weeks ago in just one thumb, which got triggered (!) again from lifting my heavy elderly dog... The shot takes a couple of weeks to kick in, but helps immensely. I am just finishing up my first month of B-6 therapy, but hoping it will do the trick. My other thumb is fine now, no more symptoms.

Wishing you fast healing!



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