I didn’t know where to post this topic, … move it if need be.
I’ve developed this weird thing in my right pinkie finger. Later in the day usually nearing bedtime my right pinkie finger will kind of lock up. I can move it back and forth with some effort if I move it past the point where it hitches or locks. It does this during the entirety of sleep and for the first part of the morning until I get moving around enough to loosen it. It then becomes pretty much free for most of the day.
I’ve never experienced anything like it before. I am fairly sure this is due to window cleaning because it only happened recently as I’ve had an enormous amount of commercial work. And as I have heavy days working it gets worse. It isn’t especially painful right now but some days it is worse than others. It’s doing it right now and it’s midday. Yesterday I had a lot of higher pole work and I knew that might spark it up more than usual.
I haven’t been to the doctor yet, but thought I would ask if any of you have ever developed any kind of condition like this or another condition from window cleaning (tendonitis, etc). As I did some researching I’ve found out that this condition is called “trigger finger” and it does happen a lot in the little finger.
I’ve tried icing, stretching, massage, etc but nothing has worked thus far. It’s quite annoying to say the least. Just seeing if anyone of you have had it and how you might have treated it. Thanks.
Yeah it happened to me on my right hand, middle finger. I’m glad it’s not on my left as I play some guitar.
I know exactly how it happened. I was using an ice scraper, scraping up compacted snow and ice, I was hitting it bang bang bang. I kept working hard till muscle failure over and over, I think of it as exercise and I had my right hand on the end of the handle. I hurt my hand and then ever since I’ve had it. I understand it can be operated on if necessary.
Mine started very gradually over several weeks and months. I woke up and was like “would you look at that, my finger kind of hitches a little when I bend it”. Didn’t think much of it until it became worse. Now sometimes I’m like “Do I really want to bend my finger that badly” because it’s difficult to do it and then of course it’s locked on the other side. Sheesh I sure don’t want surgery for a stupid pinkie. Maybe if it gets too bad I’ll just chop it off completely;)
No, it’s an actual bump or nodule that can form on the tendon. When the tendon is being pulled over a bone joint, the nodule will get hung up a bit because it’s thicker. You compensate by using the muscle harder to bend the finger, once the nodule clears the bone joint your finger snaps closed. Trigger finger.
TomC - If you end up going to the doctor I’d like to know the diagnosis. When I was still in the foodservice industry I developed a “click” in my right trigger finger from tapping the P.O.S. touchscreens a few thousand times a night. Its gone away now, but I would still like to have an idea of what it was.
P.S. By P.O.S. I meant Point Of Sale system, not Piece Of S**t, although they are pretty much one in the same
It’s definitely not a cramp, it’s exactly what Mike has described.
Also SqueegeeNinja- I’ll pass anything along that I learn about the condition if and when I get it diagnosed. I’ve had many years working with those POS systems because I bartended and served for many many years. And they are a POS for sure.
Yes,I have it after 30 + years of window cleaning. Mostly my ring fingers. What I have done is put some of that neoprene pipe warmers that you use for pipes in your home and wrap around pole with duct tape. Also the sguegee handle that I use mostly. I may need try on my steering wheel yet.
