The physiology of trigger finger and chi kung

The trigger finger is being considered, by the medical profession, as a minor ailment requiring simple surgery in the clinic, if anti-inflammatory medication failed.  In the surgery, the patient's delimiting tendon sheath will be opened so that the tendon can now move and the finger be able to flex.  An acupuncturist works differently.  With his needles inserting at the right points, he will try to stimulate the movement of tendon inside the sheath, hopefully with enough strength, the tendon can move again inside the sheath.  As the logic goes, an acupuncturist can't guarantee that his treatment can solve his patient's problem.  And as the logic goes, the surgeon will cut open your protective sheath (well, he will tell you that you don't need it anyway), but he can be certain that your problem will be solved, save any unpredictable consequence which we all have to live with whatever we do.

Where does chi kung come into the picture?  Every chi kung practitioner knows that his stretched fingers can generate chi in his body.  The stretched fingers are the "tight points" 点紧， together with a relaxed body 身松， chi generation will be facilitated.  But what is the physiology behind this chi generation mechanism?  In the initial stage, the tightening is actionable at the finger tips, with finger stretched to enable the tightening.  In the intermediate stage, the tightening should gradually extend to involve the fingers flexor tendon inside the sheath or pulley (with the spread fingers still at work at the same time).  With a focused mind, a chi kung practitioner makes his tendon fit smugly inside the puller.  And when he moves his fingers (nano-ly, as some practitioners like to call this almost "invisible" [to an onlooker] movement), the movement in the tightly fitted tendor/pulley will generate more powerful chi, i.e. more powerful than what a simple stretched hand can generate.  Needless to say, this is an intermediate stage actionable only after a firm foundation in a (simple) stretched hand training.

In conclusion, our flexor tendon inside its sheath or pulley can be a cause of trouble, or a tool to an intermediate chi kung practice for better physical health.

Finger flexor tendon and chi kung