Hi! I have a patient with trigger finger as well, and am wondering if dry needling was able to help it. If so, which points did you find the most helpful?

Hi! I have a patient with trigger finger as well, and am wondering if dry needling was able to help it. If so, which points did you find the most helpful?

Hi, this is Cody I am a OT, CHT and instructor for IDN.  You can definitely dry needle for trigger thumb/finger.  When treating and needling trigger finger or trigger thumb we are looking to get the needle into the tendon. Using a smaller needle to reduce discomfort and we are aiming for the boney back drop of the metacarpal.  We can identify that we are in the right place by blocking the MP joint and having the patient GENTLY bend their finger, the needle will move proving that we are in the right place.  IF by chance you are not in the tendon, leave that needle and try again so you have a landmark if you will to go off of.  Once in the tendon you can do some light rotation, light manipulation to tolerance.  Then back the needle out slowly, you will then feel the needle pull out of the tendon and you are now only in the A1 pulley, you can do the same here, light rotation, light manipulation to the patients tolerance. you can also needle the proximal portion of the flexor tendons and add low frequency stim to the proximal portion and the A1 pulley/tendon to get greater analgesic effects, greater circulation, decreased pain for the patient as well.  Hope that helps! 

I also made a YouTube video on dry needling for trigger finger. Here is the link if you want to watch it: https://youtu.be/uqP_J6aoXf4?si=IWoqJJt6RsJ04uSu