Trigger Finger or Trigger Thumb Splint Aids
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……I woke up one morning with trigger finger, or rather trigger thumb. Yes, I really did. And my hunt for a finger splint that I could live with was on……………
To be honest, I’m sure it had been coming on for a long time, but it’s one of those things that just crept up on me. Then one day, it was just ‘there’. I couldn’t move my digits. Not without a fearfully painful amount of snapping and popping that is. Not being able to type or do my handwork or hold a painting brush for my watercolors was aggravating. And that joint was too tender to bend.
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What causes trigger finger or trigger thumb? The short and annoying answer, in my case, is excessive usage that comes with getting older. We all want to hear that, right? Nope.
But that is not the only thing that causes this painful condition. Not surprisingly, arthritis can play a hand in trigger finger and even diabetes can be considered a cause. And obviously, any type of trauma to the joints can bring on the condition. Honestly, it doesn’t take much to accidentally slam a finger in a door or drop something on it. Tough as our anatomy is, our body often takes a daily beating. That is when finger splints like these make a difference in continuing on with our work. They simply protect the injured member while giving it much needed extra support. And hopefully time to heal.
When I began my search, I didn’t really know what to look for or what to get. Originally, I bought something like the hand wrap in the photo from a local drug store because I hurt. And I wanted support NOW. Even in the middle of the night I would wake up and feel pain so I regularly wore the full hand brace that you see at the left each night. It gave me great support and prevented my thumb from painfully locking up.
During the day, unfortunately, when I tried to do work that required more fine motor skills such as crocheting, the thumb was supported but I couldn’t hold a hook in my hands with anything resembling a decent grip. Worse, when I tried to use my computer, the bulky thumb brace interfered with the key board.
Now I want you to know, this is a great brace. I just needed something extra when I used my hands in another activity. So, as you read on, you’ll see the ones I chose and the reasons why I thought they worked great for me or how they helped in different situations.
Hopefully, this will make is easier for you to choose the right silicone trigger finger or trigger thumb-finger brace solution that is perfect for you.
I liked this finger brace because it works for one finger. You aren’t burdened with using an entire hand brace. What is particularly nice is that it extends to the base of the finger creating support along the entire length. It is made of a composite material and can be adjusted to the finger. It does not, however, work for a thumb.
Finger splints get dirty. If they are on your fingers and you use your hands, yes you are going to have to clean them! These are nice in that they are easy to clean with soap and water. Because they are not made of any breathable material, they have a tendency to get sweaty. Easy to slip on peel off, they have another use. For people like me who do a lot of handwork, they actually protect my finger tips from the yarn or thread that I work with which often wears grooves into my fingers. Needleworkers, these are for you. ( I wrote a post on these sleeves when I went searching for something for my sister and I. We both needlework and at the time were knitting several sweaters made of wool for a re-enactors guild. After several weeks, the yarn wore grooves over the top of our fingers where we wound the yarn, I am happy to report that these sleeves were a wonderful idea. We were able to continue to knit while the wounds healed.)
This set comes in 3 sizes. The beauty of the Oval 8 is that you can change the size as needed. Cold or hot weather affecting your finger? Newly injured and the finger is swollen? …..slip on the larger size. As the swelling goes down or the condition eases, you can switch out the larger size for a smaller one. The beauty of this set is that it also treats a few additional conditions (such as mallet finger or arthritis), and can be worn in different ways to accommodate different conditions just by adjusting the placement on the fingers. Due to its open design, the finger and finger tips do not sweat from being encased in an entire silicone sleeve.
Choosing the right brace is far easier when you know what you need and what the supports are able to do. At the time of this writing,(and because of different requirements I had) I ended up with a full wrist support for night use, the silicone finger sleeves for my needlework needs and the oval 8 for it’s open design and convenience.
