2. Chronic Tendon Inflammation
The tendons in our hands give us the ability to open and close our fingers. These ligaments are the fibrous cords attaching muscles to bones throughout the body. A protective sheath surrounds every tendon, and when irritation or inflammation of the tendons occurs, the affected individual is at risk of developing a trigger finger.
Inflamed tendons create additional tension in the fingers, affecting the movement of the tendon through the sheath. As a result, affected individuals may find that the affected finger, or fingers, begin to curl inward as if they are pulling the trigger of a gun, hence the nickname for the disorder.
If left untreated, this tension and inflammation may reach a chronic state. Severe tendonitis in the sheath and tendons may result in permanent scarring which thickens the sheath and affects the normal movement of the finger. Affected individuals may also notice the formation of “nodules,” bumps in the tendons that further degrade the movement of the affected finger.