The role of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in treatment of trigger finger

Abstract

Trigger finger is a condition that causes triggering, snapping, or locking on flexion of the affected finger, with a lifetime risk which is 3% in the general population and is approximately 10% in diabetic patients.it could be primary or secondary to RA, de Quervain’s disease,…etc. Treatment of trigger finger includes splinting, NSAIDs, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, and surgical release of the tendon sheath (Moore 2000). Musculoskeletal ultrasound has proven to be an effective diagnostic tool for a variety of conditions concerning the evaluation of small clinically relevant structures of the wrist and hand, It`s a highly dynamic imaging technique that allows a real-time and accurate evaluation of tendons, joints, nerves, and vessels of the wrist and hand (Rossi et al.,2018). ESWT is a non-invasive modality used in treatment of tendinopathy. It depends on directing sound waves of high peak pressure to the targeted tissue. It has two types; radial and focused types. Its short term effects include pain relief and anti-inflammatory effect. Its long term effects include tissue healing and destruction of calcifications; no serious adverse events were recorded following ESWT (Simplicio et al., 2020).