Effective Natural Remedies for Trigger Finger Relief

I want to give an update to my trigger thumb issue that I wrote about last summer. I tried many of the remedies listed on EC, topically and internally, and none helped at all. After one of my thumbs basically froze in place because the tendon was so inflamed, I decided to see a hand specialist about it at the end of September. He gave me a cortisone shot in each thumb and said it would take several weeks to heal. There was definitely improvement after about 3 weeks, however the rest of my fingers were still feeling oddly arthritic.

As mentioned in my first post on the subject, besides a possible karate training injury, I had also purchased a Berkey Stainless Steel Water Filtration canister and started drinking the amazingly purified water right around the same time the trigger and arthritis finger symptoms appeared out of the blue.

Well, when healing was still moving very slowly a month after the cortisone shot, I decided to stop drinking the filtered water from my Berkey just to rule it out. Well guess what. Within a few days, all arthritis and trigger finger symptoms in both hands COMPLETELY disappeared!

People often mention to avoid distilled water because it can deplete critical nutrients from your body. However they rarely mention the same about purified water. Just wanted to put it out there that if you have sudden onset of arthritis in your hands (or elsewhere for that matter) or trigger finger, you might want to change your drinking water source and see if that helps.

It was an easy fix, but took a few months to figure out!

I hope this information helps someone else.

I've noticed that eating oranges gives me trigger finger. Always eaten oranges and drank orange juice. Started to get trigger finger in my 50's stopped eating oranges, no more trigger finger. This may not be the case for everyone but it's definitely cured mine. I did actually try oranges again, after eating two oranges in 1 day, trigger finger started to come back. Stopped again, trigger fingers gone away, too much of a coincidence. Even if this helps a few of you it's worth posting.

Bromelain....worked miracles for me.I had been suffering for a month with both thumbs trigger finger. First time I took 2 tables 500 mg of bromelain an hours or 2 I felt the result. Today is my second day and I woke up a little stiff but I am taking 2 500 ms 3 times a day and I feel 99% better. Thank God I read about bromelain. I really was considering acupunture in the next few days but after taking this I have cancelled my acupuncture appointment!

I've had trigger finger in my thumb for several months. It was stiff and very painful. I was not able to bend it at all. Then I ran across the suggestion here to try bromelian. I ordered it the same day. In about two days, I could wiggle my thumb a little. It's been two weeks now and I have full range of motion in my thumb and no pain. It still clicks some, but at this rate, I'm sure it will be fully healed soon. I have tried so many things that didn't help at all. It was very demoralizing to have so much thumb pain because it is hard to do anything at all without using your thumb! Bromelian was like a miracle cure for me.

Oh boy.... If YOU have to tell your doctor how to do this, I would change doctors!

I'm thrilled to report that Ted's borax protocol, 1/8th teaspoon of borax in 1 liter of water sipped throughout the day, has been helping my trigger finger which I had been unable to bend since April. It took 3 weeks on the protocol to start seeing results. It happened quickly. All of a sudden, I could bend my thumb again. It's no longer stuck in a straight position and popping when I bend it!

I'd say it's 60% better at this point. If I stop the borax for even just a day, my thumb starts to stiffen up again, so I have NOT been taking any days off (per the protocol).

Amazing results as Trigger Finger supposedly has no "cure." I have tried many supplements over the past 3 years for my thumb. Surgery was my next option as I have already had 2 cortisone shots that wore off. P5P, the recommended supplement for trigger finger, did not help at all.

Update 1/15/2024:

The borax protocol 100% worked on my trigger thumb. It took about 6 months to diminish the inflammation to the point I could easily bend my thumb again. I cut back on the borax protocol at the 6-month point, only doing it a few times a month when my fingers start to feel stiff. Works within a day. This is the BEST fix for a trigger finger. I tried them all!

For trigger finger, try taking the bromelain on an empty stomach with water. If you take it with meals, it will digest your food rather than working on healing your trigger finger.

My trigger finger increased in intensity and immobility until I could not bend it anymore. The doctor said that surgery was my only option. It got so painful that I kept it splinted day and night for months. It was NOT improving in ANY fashion.

Then, I got a massive tooth infection.

To back off the tooth infection, I started taking 5 drops of 100% oregano oil in 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and 1/4 cup warm water 3x/day.

I took this concoction for weeks and during that time, I noticed changes in my trigger thumb problem. Soon, I could bend my thumb without the excruciating 'pop' and following pain ...my thumb was getting it's mobility back!

When I got the tooth dealt with, I stopped taking the oregano but kept taking a swallow (3 tsp?) of the sesame seed oil every day, and my thumb continued getting better until I was 100% normal.

I type at least 2 hours a day at my work. I play tennis, Frisbee golf, and many other sports. It feels great. :)

I have perfect mobility now with no pain. It has been over two years now. There has been a couple times that I felt a little stiffness in the thumb..., I just took sesame seed oil that day and it stopped.

I am not sure whether it was the oregano, sesame oil or both for the initial healing.

I encourage others to just keep seeking. You never know what may be missing in your diet to encourage healing. The body is an incredible design that seems to know what to do if we just provide it the correct tools to work with.

I am diabetic 44 yrs on insulin and I have triggers fingers the pain was unbearable recently but I have tried the vinegar and baking soda and lemon juice along with my new inflamaratory meds I feel 100% better
..but the baking soda bothers my stomach ...

I just got some bromelain supplements in the mail. I have severe trigger finger in my right thumb and the ring and pinky fingers of both hands. I took two tablets an hour ago and already feel a difference! I drove a lot today and my hands were sore. I can bend my right thumb without pain, and it has been a long time since I could do that...looking forward to seeing how much more improvement I can get from these supplements. Also planning to get acupuncture if needed...

My doctor gave me a steroid injection 6 months ago for trigger finger. When the 6 months were up the pain was excruciating. I swear I was going to have to call the doctor and have him to an emergency surgery. I got online and I read about Bromelian. I went to the store immediately since it was saturday and the surgeon was not available and started taking them. I also purchased topical analgesic ointment anad (for joint and muscles pain) rub that on my hand and fingers, put a glove on and went to bed and the following day it was like a miracle. Thank God!! I'm hoping that Bromelian will work forever and I won't have to go for surgery.

I have a trigger finger on my right hand that comes and goes. I have found that it is affected by citrus juices, or something along that line. If I drink orange juice or lemonade, or take a vitamin c supplement, it will cause my finger to lock up. The more I drink, the worse it gets. My doctor tells me i'm crazy. I can lay off juces for a week and the problem will go away completely.

Borax for Trigger Finger

I had it in my middle finger for over a year and wearing a splint does nothing. Borax is the winner! I would say it's about 90% gone. The only thing I notice is that when trying to open a tight lid on a jar, sometimes I get a twinge. But no more stiffness, pain or waking up with a bent finger. I take the borax protocol for arthritis (which worked a miracle on my very painful shoulders in less than a week) and fixing the trigger finger was a pleasant side effect. It took longer for the finger to get better than the shoulders. I take 1/4 teaspoon in a litter of water and feel like its more effective for me if I drink 25% at a time, spaced throughout the day. By the way, I am a woman, 5'6 125 lbs but I am very comfortable with the man's dosage because I had a lot of inflammation.

HI U HELLEN, , , , , , , , , , , , first get your bod alkaline by eating green and drinking baking soda. Check your urine pH and get it above 7 on the second tinkle in the mornings.

MSM is a joint supplement made by the combination of DMSO and Hydrogen Peroxide. Who ever told you to orally take that was right on the money. Increase your MSM until your pain goes away. DMSO is a solvent that will take a liniment in far better than MSM. You are probably low on electrolytes so drink a Gatorade daily.

Address what causes Trigger Finger and not the symptoms. Your MD will do that because he needs the money for his European vacation.

Wish you well. =======ORH=========

What is the dosage of the Bromelain you are taking? I see 2xday, but not the amount. Also, 3 months or so have passed. How are you doing? Have the remedies worked to heal? Partially or completely?

I had trigger finger in both thumbs for a year. Agony!! I started taking bromelain, an enzyme extracted from pineapples, (to prevent swelling) for an upcoming surgery last November. The dose was 3 times a day between meals for 3 weeks. After taking bromelian for 3 weeks my trigger fingers were cured completely! I take bromelain once a day now (preventative). To date, trigger finger(s) has not reoccured. Hope this helps!

I had suffered with carpal tunnel for 3 years in both hands and got progressively worst to the point that I was only getting 45mins to 2hrs sleep per night. I had tried every cream, every natural vitamin and supplements. Nothing worked, so I decide to have surgery on my left hand first (since I am righty)and presto problem solved,

2 months later I had my right hand operated on and was cured for carpal tunnel. My joy lasted for 3 days after my second surgery, because I developed severe Fibromyalgia throughout my entire body that lasted 7 months. I was actually crippled, if not for my desire to overcome this ailment, I probably would have been hospitalized and I thought I was going to DIE. I got up every morning and took Vicadin and Cymbalta plus a steroid to get through my day. (I promise I will get to the Trigger Finger Cure). I beat my Fibromyalgia by my persistance and crawling to the gym to strenghten my muscles. After I was cured for the Fibro, I developed Trigger Fingers on the left index and thumb and right hand thumb and pinky, I could not pick up anything because the pain and locking effect was so painful.

However, I cured my trigger fingers by not eating fried foods and taking B complex vitamins. Also a chinese acupunturist told me that warm or hot beverages must be drank with all meals. After 1 week of 4 eight ounces of warm water, B complex vitamins, No fried foods, Cod liver oil and hot tea with food---Presto no more Trigger Finger and better health and complexion.

I hope it works for you..

The bandaid method worked for me. It took a long time before I could take it off and leave it off, but it worked. I believe that my other thumb is doing it now too. It's actually not clicking/locking, but it's seriously painful. I was in so much pain, I didn't know where to turn past alternating Advil with Voltaren gel. A brace didn't work nor a bandage wrap, so I decided to try a bandaid on it just for the heck of it. I put it right over the knuckle like I did on my other hand. In that way, I can't bend it. It worked. The pain subsided as soon as I got it on there. What a relief! On first trigger thumb, I also used the new surgical tape that's out there. It's a tan color, and I think it's possibly breathable. I wrapped that around several times and that worked well. It would eventually get dirty and start to come off because of working and getting it wet, but it worked. The bandaids did pretty much the same thing. I've even used both, including waterproof bandaids. What didn't work was the old-fashioned white surgical tape. My skin dried out so badly that it left a long cut across my skin (as if I wasn't in enough pain already).

Hi Tanya,

Yes, various water filtration devices can certainly pull essential vitamins and minerals from the body, so we all need to be watchful of that.

Please look into the research for high dose Vitamin B-6 for trigger finger. It can take up to 6 months for it to work depending on how bad your fingers are when you start, but there is research dating back decades showing that carpal tunnel and trigger finger are caused by b-6 deficiency caused by hormonal changes, especially in women. There's a great book on the subject called Vitamin B-6 Therapy by John Ellis, MD published in 1999 that anyone with these issues should read.

I had to go in for a second cortisone shot a couple of weeks ago in just one thumb, which got triggered (!) again from lifting my heavy elderly dog... The shot takes a couple of weeks to kick in, but helps immensely. I am just finishing up my first month of B-6 therapy, but hoping it will do the trick. My other thumb is fine now, no more symptoms.

Wishing you fast healing!

Hi there,

Why not try the dmso with aloe vera gel, which you can buy as a supplement 4oz jar. This should help you through the pain enough to exercise it.