The trigger finger is a condition in which your fingers or thumbs become bent. When your finger's tendon gets inflamed or swollen, it becomes hard to glide smoothly through the sheath that surrounds it. Trigger finger can be painful and interfere with your daily activities.
You may benefit from direct primary care (DPC) if you suffer from trigger finger. Direct primary care allows you to contact your primary care provider directly, without the middleman. The majority of primary care services covered by DPC include consultations, exams, care coordination, and some lab services. The fee is based on a monthly or annual fee.
Getting personalized and timely care from your primary care provider is one of the main benefits of DPC for trigger finger patients. As DPC physicians have fewer patients and less administrative burden, they are able to spend more time discussing your concerns with you. You can also communicate with them more conveniently and effectively by phone, email, or video chat.
As another benefit of DPC for trigger finger patients, you can save money on your health care costs. Since DPC eliminates the middleman of insurance, you do not have to pay deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. There are no surprise bills or hidden fees with DPC memberships. They usually cost $50 to $150 per month, which is often less than insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.
If you join a DPC practice, your primary care provider will work with you to create a personalized trigger finger management plan that suits your needs and preferences. Depending on the severity of your condition, your plan may include:
You can reduce inflammation in your affected finger by wearing a splint, which reduces swelling and prevents further damage to the tendon. Your primary care provider will prescribe you the appropriate splint for your finger and will instruct you on how to use it.
You can increase the range of motion and flexibility of your finger by doing some gentle stretching exercises. Your primary care provider can show you some exercises you can do at home or at work.
Your primary care provider can suggest the appropriate dosage and frequency of taking anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, to help ease your finger's swelling and pain.
To reduce inflammation and improve your finger's movement, your primary care provider may suggest injecting a steroid into the tendon sheath if splinting, exercises, and medications fail to relieve your symptoms. In the office, this procedure can be performed with minimal invasiveness.
A surgeon can perform a procedure to release the tendon sheath and restore the function of your finger if none of the above treatments have worked or if your finger is permanently bent in a bent position. In most cases, this is an outpatient procedure under local anesthesia.
Your primary care provider will follow up with you regularly as a DPC patient and monitor your progress. Whenever you have questions or concerns about your trigger finger, you can reach out to them. Your health care partner will help you achieve the best possible results.
In order to provide you with direct, personalized, and affordable primary care, DPC is a model of health care that reflects this love of medicine and humanity. Join a DPC practice if you suffer from trigger finger, or any other health problem.
As the famous physician Hippocrates once said, “Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.”
Previous Post
Next Post
