Trigger finger

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Template:DiseaseDisorder infobox | }} Trigger finger, or trigger thumb, is a type of stenosing tenosynovitis in which the sheath around a tendon in a thumb or finger becomes swollen or a nodule forms on the tendon itself. In either case, the tendon can no longer slide freely through its sheath. Affected digits may become painful to straighten once bent, and may make a soft crackling sound when moved. Treatment may include a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, hand splinting, corticosteroid injection directly around the tendon and sheath, or surgical release of the sheath.

This ailment is sometimes classed as a repetitive strain injury.

1 Colloquialisms
- 1.1 BlackBerry thumb
- 1.2 Nintendonitis
2 References
3 External links

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Colloquialisms

The problem is also referred to by a number of colloquialisms based on the type of device causing the problem, for example:

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BlackBerry thumb

BlackBerry thumb is a colloquialism for a specific type of repetitive strain injury (RSI) affecting the thumb. It is caused by the overuse of the finger on handheld devices, including mobile phones. The name comes from a wireless handheld device called BlackBerry. Typical symptom is an aching, stiff thumb, but the pain could also affect the hand and arm. This phenomenon in the field of electronic overuse injuries is not new; it was also common to users of the Intellivision game controllers in the 1980s.

According to American Society of Hand Therapists, there has been a rising incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis and this is linked to the use of handheld electronic devices. [1]

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Nintendonitis

Nintendonitis is a neologism and a portmanteau of Nintendo and tendonitis which arose from the overuse of thumb operated video games. Similar names are gamer's grip, Nintendo thumb, PlayStation thumb.

The term was coined by the New England Journal of Medicine in 1990, after a popular video game company Nintendo, which at the time was a leader in the console gaming industry and was established as a household name. Nintendonitis (or Nindentinitis) was first used to describe the case of a teenager who developed hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) from playing videogames with a vibration-pack-fitted gamepad for several hours a day. Later, the controllers for the Sony PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were noted as causing the condition. However, due to the shape, size and extended use of game controllers it is not limited to just those specific ones and can occur in users of any gamepad or joystick. Similar problems have also been associated with the use of mobile phones, and text messaging in particular.

This is just one of several forms of game-related health risks that have been reported. A review of research by Robin Mary Gillespie in the journal Work found while we don't know how prevalent the problem is, there is ample evidence that excessive gaming can harm your health.

Symptons referred to by Nintendonitis go beyond RSI of the thumb to include blistering, paraesthesia and swelling of the thumbs, mainly through use of the D-pad, though any finger can be affected. This can lead to stress on tendons, nerves and ligaments in the hands, and further onto lateral epicondylitis ("tennis elbow"), tendonitis, bursitis and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

In June 2005, the South African Medical Journal published a report by Safura Abdool Karim, a 13-year-old who had investigated such problems occurring in people at her school.

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