So I've been kiting for over 20 years and have in the past 6 months or so developed trigger finger middle finger on my left hand (I'm natural and ride toe side-so left hand often on bar) - I've had two cortisone injections in that finger, relieves pain for a while, but locking still occurs - so surgery looks likely. I'm also starting to get it on right hand ??. None of my kiting/windsurfing friends have had it.

Posting to see if anyone here has had it and, if so, treatments and outcomes, please? Thanks.

Matt

I have it on both middle fingers. Sucks when it locks up in the middle of the night! I can't explain the exercises my physio told me to do but they helped tremendously. I will try though: Hold out your hands flat palms facing up and curl your fingers toward your palm but don't close your fist .Next hold out your hand flat, and then curl all your fingers toward your wrist slowly into a bunch. Do that several times. Next don't curl your fingers but close them like a clamshell. Do each of these several times. It really helped me and they rarely lock now. It never happens when I kite. Hope this helps.

Just do some flexion exercises

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dafish said..
I have it on both middle fingers. Sucks when it locks up in the middle of the night! I can't explain the exercises my physio told me to do but they helped tremendously. I will try though: Hold out your hands flat palms facing up and curl your fingers toward your palm but don't close your fist .Next hold out your hand flat, and then curl all your fingers toward your wrist slowly into a bunch. Do that several times. Next don't curl your fingers but close them like a clamshell. Do each of these several times. It really helped me and they rarely lock now. It never happens when I kite. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the message - I'll chat to my physio - the specialist was quite certain the injections would sort it - all it has done has taken away the pain for a month or so, but the inflammation in the tendon is still there and so it starts to lock again - and now starting in other hand - kinda' bumbed.

Thanks again!

Matt

This has been a really enlightening read for me..thanks for that....ok...I've had this since I was about ten but I know what brought it on...not sure if it will refer to you or not
It's cold weather.whenever my arm is cold it goes down. And locks up...
It hasn't locked up for more than 12years since being always in a warmer climates..
It happened last week and a few other times recently(arm and joints got cold)...I covered my arm up with extra layers and then it was sorted ..as well as a couple of physio movements but I really don't think that made a difference (obviously it did a bit )..

Not sure if having cold circulation in that arm at the time means anything to you..cold water. Weather..evenings etc
Anyway.i never had it when in warm climates in the years I was brought up in Cyprus Morocco Nigeria Saudi Arabia etc warmer climates... but it 'does happen in colder ones or after cold water sessions but is soon sorted by covering up and getting it warm again...it literally just disappears when warm or would stay locked forever
Anyway thanks for the info on cortisone
Sometimes I also take magnesium hits that are supposed to be good for it...but rarely.
Maybe its just random that whenever I cover shoulder down up with a double duvet it just sorts itself out and subsides
I've never had hay fever since being near the sea constantly either it's been great

Hope it works out and thanks for info ..

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loco4olas said..
So I've been kiting for over 20 years ...

Matt

So anyway loco4olas here's to elaborate on it.
Is this triggerfinger ?
It seizes up like this ..

Like on of those bunny shadows you do it the dark.






...it locks in... unable to ''unjam''
It happened last week a few hrs after i launched at a place called pot alley which was really tiny and bodydragged out. Temperature is different to my normal places and how it has been... ...eves are cooler.it doesn't happen in the water at all(thankfully)..maybe because of the motion and inner generated heat
If it kicks in it's normally an hour to 4hrs after a session..and it can kick in at any time but there is ONE thing that solves it(for me)
It kicked in this evening when cooking and holding things.. about 2.5hrs after a session..but...all I had to do is put a jumper on make sure my whole arm is covered and particularly my suffering hands shoulder(left or right etc)..so with the shoulder armpit area warm....the circulation retraces down and in about 2 or three minutes it is solved!!...like this ..





...I can hold my bar again no worries..All because higher right back(shoulder blade and neck area as well as arm/elbow/forearm..) is warm again with scarf...so circulation has travelled down

I can also pick up my rollie box with no weed in...as per this ..





But I am aware that if my shoulder blade looses heat which I can feel bubbling with blood at the moment and generating)...
Then it will lock in again.so obviously I am going to keep all that area warm for the next two or three hrs
I did alot of yoga in the past even did two years in yoga ashrams etc in India years ago
I am aware of physio
This has been my technique for years
Hope it helps
Or maybe it isn't even 'triggerfinger'
But it doesn't necessarily happen related to kiting or holding a bar or anything too much repetitively it happens in all kind of different circumstances and this is the remedy
I believe it is related to temperature and climate. .

..thankyou for your insight

I believe that if you were kiting in Dubai where kites pop from heat expansion there is no 'triggerfinger'that exists there...
Would love for someone to confirm

Had 2 on one hand for 8 years now. just painful when i have to pull it back in place mainly at night. heard its often a local opp to fix now but never bothered.

My daughter had it in her thumb for a few years. ended up being really bad and wouldn't release.
Se had surgery and has been good since.
The tendon slides inside a sleeve. when the tendon has some form of buildup, it hits the start of the sleeve and causes it to lock mechanically.
The surgery involved cutting a small "V" in the start of the sleeve which allows the buildup to enter the sleeve without binding.

Thanks for the tip dafish, I'll give it a try. I had it getting progressively worse on RH ring finger, to the point it was quite difficult and painful to unlock(needing the other hand to unlock it). Really scared me when I was unable to unlock it while out in the water gripping the bar. Cortisone didn't help me. Surgery has been wonderful, it's really quite minor. I've had another finger do it for decades but never been a real problem Don't think it's particularly kiting related, it's pretty common.