The Therapeutic Effect of Acupuncture on Trigger Finger Disease

This study aimed to find the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in the treatment of patient with trigger finger.
This clinical trial study without control group was performed during the years 2014-2015 in Alzahra Medical Health Center in Isfahan, Iran, on 42 patients with trigger finger referred to this center. Patients were selected based on examination and description, and classified into five groups based on trigger finger (TF) scoring table. Demographic information, pain severity based on visual analog scale (VAS), disease score based on trigger finger score, and finger movement range were determined and recorded. Patients were treated with acupuncture for 10 sessions of half an hour using needle 7 × 0.16 mm using ah shi points locating method. Patients were followed once after the end of intervention (after 10 sessions of acupuncture) and one month later.
Findings: Based on the inclusion criteria, 42 patients enrolled the study, but 34 of them finalized it, 29 patients (85.3%) with grade IV, and 5 (14.7%) with grade V. After treatment, totally, 21 patients (61.8%) changed to grade I, 7 (20.6%) changed to grade IIb, and 6 changed to grade III. In other words, of 29 patients with grade IV, 17 changed to grade I, 7 changed to grade IIb, and 5 changed to grade III. Moreover, of 5 patients with grade V, 4 changed to grade I, and 1 changed to grade III. Before treatment, the mean pain score was 5.9 ± 2.1, which change to 5.6 ± 2.1 after the surgery. Reduction of pain score after treatment was statistically significant (P > 0.001). After treatment, the range of motion significantly improved in all patients (P > 0.001); the mean of reduction was 48.7 ± 13.8.
Less invasive and less complicated treatment modalities such as acupuncture can be useful in the treatment of flexor tendon tenosynovitis.