Does cortisone injection treat trigger finger?

Trigger finger, also called stenosing tenosynovitis, occurs when a finger tendon does not glide smoothly through its pulley. Thickening or swelling can cause tenderness in the palm, clicking, catching, or locking when the finger bends and straightens. Cortisone may reduce swelling around the tendon and improve its glide.

The injection is directed near the affected tendon sheath, not into the tendon itself. Improvement may take time, and the finger should not be judged by a single movement immediately afterward.

Have the finger examined if catching interferes with dressing, work, sleep, or hand use. Your clinician may discuss activity changes, a night splint, hand exercises, or injection. Read about Cortisone Injection treatment and ask how to protect the hand while the medicine takes effect.

Avoid repeatedly forcing a locked finger straight. Note which finger is affected, when locking occurs, and whether you can fully straighten it without help.

Seek prompt care if the finger becomes stuck and cannot be gently straightened, or if there is sudden loss of hand function after an injury. Get urgent medical advice for increasing redness, warmth, swelling, fever, or severe pain after an injection.

Ask whether the tendon sheath is the source of the catching, when improvement should be expected, whether a splint would help, and what the next option is if locking continues.