The Doc Replies

What is the cause of trigger finger? I worked as a secretary for years. Could this have contributed?

Trigger finger is often not clearly caused by a specific problem. However, it does happen when the tendon in the finger becomes a little bit inflamed and a nodule develops which makes it difficult for it to move smoothly. It could well be that your secretarial work had an impact – but more commonly it happens just out of bad luck. It is often treatable by injection or sometimes an operation.

I travel every other week on the bus to visit my daughter but by the time I arrive my legs and ankles are swollen. It’s a two-hour journey. What do you think is happening?

When travelling by bus, train or plane, the legs are often facing down the way which can lead to the ankles and feet swelling a little. The most common cause of this is that the veins aren’t working quite as well as they once did and blood is able to settle in the legs creating a little bit of puffiness. Whilst this is common there are also other causes of this sort of thing that your doctor might want to check up on – although most of the time this sort of thing is nothing to be concerned about.

Can you damage your joints by cracking and popping your knuckles?

This is quite a common habit. As far as I am aware though there is no evidence that cracking and popping knuckles causes any long-term problems to your joints, or indeed any damage. Bear in mind it tends to be more annoying for those people around you who who have to listen to it...