Here’s what to do if the physical therapy office can’t get you in soon for your trigger thumb or finger.
If they’re booked out for weeks and you need PT, there may be a much better approach to get the trigger problem resolved.
I developed trigger thumb and tried to treat it with PT exercises I saw on YouTube.
The exercises made NO difference.
I then tried an “oval” splint; this didn’t help either.
I then decided to see my primary care physician so that she could put in an authorization for physical therapy.
I was already aware that if PT doesn’t work, the next step is a cortisone or steroidal injection.
I wanted to try PT first, since there’s a very tiny risk for nerve damage via injection.
I also believed that PT could yield results quickly and be more effective, even though the three YouTube exercises had proven useless.
My primary doctor was booked out for weeks, so I chose the first available doctor. She ordered the PT.
However, I was rattled to learn that the PT clinic was booked out for three weeks.
I sent an email to the doctor via my plan’s email system, asking if she could put in an authorization for a different location of that same PT chain.
I then heard back from my primary physician’s nurse, indicating that she had arranged for the doctor to call me for a 10 minute phone visit.
Over the phone my regular doctor said that I should go with the cortisone shot because, based on her experience, physical therapy for a trigger finger isn’t effective.
She assured me that the shot was a very effective tool and, in fact, had had it herself for a trigger thumb.
Now, you may think at this point that all of this is really interesting, but wait till you hear what I learned about a week after I got the cortisone shot.
First off, the injection began working that very day. It was amazing. The marvels of modern medicine!
A week later, I got a call from the director of the PT clinic, wanting to know if I still wanted to set up an appointment.
I said I had gotten a steroid injection that was working really well, and in this conversation, used the term “physical therapy.”
That’s when he said something rather striking: That when hands or fingers need some form of physical intervention to resolve a problem, the method is called occupational therapy.
There’s a difference between physical and occupational therapy.
I said that at no point did either of the two doctors mention occupational therapy, only physical.
The director was surprised and reaffirmed that the industry standard is that for the hand and fingers, it’s occupational therapy, not physical, and that the doctors should’ve known this.
If you google about this you’ll find that usually, occupational therapy is the go-to for a trigger digit.
However, physical therapy may also be part of the treatment, depending on the patient’s individual situation.
What to Do if a Doctor Prescribes Physical Therapy for Your Trigger Finger
You’ll want to ask if maybe they mean occupational therapy or if, in your particular case, how much of a difference one type of therapy would make vs. the other kind.
However, there’s also the possibility that a cortisone injection might turn out to be far more effective. Yes, ask your doctor about this.
My PCP wasted no time recommending this course of action, even though medical sites might say that the shot is the second line of treatment if “physical therapy,” rest, bracing and soaking in warm water don’t help.
- My shot yielded a very intense pressure sensation, but as mentioned, it began taking effect later that day!
- I’m so glad I had it done!
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness, where she was also a group fitness instructor, she trained clients of all ages and abilities for fat loss and maintaining it, muscle and strength building, fitness, and improved cardiovascular and overall health.
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