Why Your Fingers Lock Up: A List of Different Causes

Trigger finger, the term used to describe fingers locking up, occurs when fingers become stuck in a flexed position as if you’re trying to pull on a trigger. The locking sensation makes it feel as though it’s impossible to move your fingers when they are stuck in that position.

It can be caused by swelling around tendons in the fingers, causing them to be unable to move as they should.

This article discusses the causes and risk factors of finger locking and when to see a healthcare provider.

Causes: Why Do My Fingers Lock Up?

Locked fingers develop when there are issues with tendons in the hand, which are tissues that connect bones and muscles. Around the tendons are sheaths, which act as protective tissue for the tendons and aid in keeping the tendons in the correct location.

When there's a problem with these tendons, your fingers can lock up in the trigger finger position. Several things can cause this, including the following:

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory form of arthritis that can affect the hands. It is also considered an autoimmune disease because the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in the joints by mistake. This leads to inflammation and swelling.

The inflammation and swelling that develop in RA can lead to trigger finger. As the sheath protecting the tendon becomes inflamed or swollen, the tendon cannot move as freely through it.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that develops when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin to handle the glucose in the blood or when it produces no insulin at all. When glucose builds up in the body of someone who has diabetes, it can lead to many other health complications, including trigger finger.

While it is unclear why people with diabetes are more likely to get trigger finger, it’s thought that high blood sugar levels cause collagen to build up in the sheaths surrounding the tendons. This buildup of collagen causes a thickening of the sheaths, driving locked fingers because of a lack of internal mobility in the hand.

Gout

Gout is a form of arthritis that causes sudden pain, swelling, and joint tenderness. It most often affects the joint in the big toe. Because arthritic conditions like gout cause swelling, they can lead to the fingers locking up. If swelling in the hand is severe, it can affect how well the tendons slide through the sheaths.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid, a gland in the neck, doesn’t produce enough thyroid hormones to sustain the required functions. This condition can cause locked fingers because of how it impacts the health and vascularity of tendons.

Amyloidosis

Amyloidosis develops when the amyloid protein, which is thought to play a role in the regulation of cells and nerves in the nervous system, builds up in an organ. Amyloidosis can cause trigger finger by building up cells and nerves in sheaths, leading to thickening.

Idiopathic

In some cases, irritation and swelling to the sheath in the hands can lead to a trigger finger for no apparent reason.

Risk Factors for Finger Locking

Along with medical conditions and idiopathic causes, locked fingers also have some risk factors. These include:

• Repeated gripping of the hands: Certain hobbies or occupations may cause locked fingers if you need to make repeated gripping motions to perform the task at hand for a long time.
• The health disorders mentioned above: While the conditions discussed above can be considered causes, they also fall into the category of risk factors because people with the disorders are more likely to develop trigger fingers than people without them.
• Older adults: People in their 40s and 50s are the most likely to develop trigger fingers.
• Hand injuries: Trigger fingers could occur in people injured at the base of the finger or palm. Surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome can also cause trigger finger.
• Other medical disorders: Conditions such as Dupuytren’s contracture and De Quervain’s disease can lead to locked fingers in some people.

Activities and Jobs Linked to Finger Locking

Since repetitive movements can lead to finger locking, some hobbies and occupations may be considered higher risk when it comes to developing trigger finger.

Activities and jobs linked to the condition include:

• Gardening
• Knitting
• Jewelry making
• Playing guitar/musicians
• Office jobs that require lots of typing
• Construction workers who use the same high-powered tools consistently
• Farmers
• Industrial workers

When to Get a Referral to a Specialist

When you experience locked finger, pay attention to the signs and symptoms, which include:

• Finger stiffness and soreness
• Catching or locking when you try to move your finger
• A sudden popping sound when the finger finally straightens
• A bump at the base of the affected finger

If, at any point, these symptoms make it difficult to perform your daily tasks or cause you excessive pain, it’s essential to see an orthopedist, a healthcare provider who specializes in disorders of the musculoskeletal system. While trigger finger isn’t severe in terms of your overall health, it can indicate other health disorders.

There are many treatments you can try so you don’t have to live with the discomfort. Nonsurgical treatments for trigger finger include:

• Resting the finger
• Putting on a splint
• Steroid injections
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Stretching exercises

In severe cases, surgery may be needed.

A more severe condition associated with the trigger finger, infectious tenosynovitis, can lead to permanent damage to the finger. If you experience the following symptoms alongside locked fingers, you should see a healthcare provider as soon as possible:

• Fever
• Redness on the finger
• Pain when moving the finger
• Excessive swelling

Summary

Having locked fingers can be an uncomfortable experience. When it occurs, it can prevent you from using your hand to perform daily tasks and cause symptoms such as swelling and pain in the hand. There are many causes and risk factors associated with trigger fingers, such as diabetes and various forms of arthritis.

While a severe disorder usually isn't the cause, locked fingers can indicate other health conditions. See a healthcare provider if trigger finger persists.