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Is Trigger Finger the Same as Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Both trigger finger and carpal tunnel syndrome result from repetitive inflammation and cause significant pain, but they differ in the structure that they affect. Trigger finger affects the tendon sheaths, preventing their extension, while carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when there is thickening of a certain group of fibers in the wrist which compresses the nerve underlying it, namely the median nerve. The end result is numbness, pain and burning sensation of the thumb half-side of the hand.
The treatment is quite similar, however, involving the anatomical problem causing the condition. Like trigger finger, in carpal tunnel syndrome, the thickened fibrous tissue is cut to relieve the pressure on the median nerve, improving the pain and preventing long-term complications.
