Hi Roger...Will be very interested to hear how you get on. My trigger finger, middle one, appeared about 3 years ago, got so bad I could hardly use a paring knife to cut up a salad for dinner. Advil (or other anti-inflamatory) seemed to help. Slowly it got better, then the ring finger started going and that one is really bad...very painful, curves now, with nodes showing on the tendons in the palm, and as it's my left hand getting more and more difficult to execute even simple chords where any stretch is involved.

Do as much research on the web as you can, as well as getting expert (!) medical opinion...more than one, if necessary. Surgery works well for some, not so for others and most docs seem to feel cort. shots not advisable because of possiblity of blowing the tendon. Also, be careful of taking joint supplements...my condition got much worse after taking a very effective chondroiton/glucosamine combo for a hip problem...apparently these substances may cause hmmmm...collogen, I think, any way, may stimulate abnormal tendon growth, making things worse.

There is a secondary condition knows as Dupuytren's Disease that also may be causing your problem, and as I understand it the remedy is not always the same for both conditions. Great strides are being taken in Europe toward surgery that is not nearly as invasive as standard US hand surgery, so recovery is very swift (like days, instead of weeks), little pain and low residual problems. General opinion seems to be that it's not being done in US because it's not profitable enough...argghhhh.

Gentle stretching exercises seem to help me but there are even cautions about that, as you are dealing with a form of tendonitis and stretching may be exacerbate the condition.

I'm taking the stretching route until I hit 65 and Medicare can help take care of the cost of Xrays, diagnosis, and possible surgery. I've tried all alternative avenues without success.

So sorry you are experiencing this. It is very scary when a finger locks into a cocked position, and the pain is alarming to snap it back to a straight position. And losing proficiency (even the little I have) on guitar heartbreaking. Hang in there...you're not alone. Keep us posted.