What Are the Symptoms of Tendonitis in the Finger?

The symptoms of tendonitis in the finger include pain in the tendon when it is moved and swelling around the area, Johns Hopkins Medicine states. Tendonitis is the inflammation of any tendon in the body.
Finger pain is a common form of tendonitis, Johns Hopkins Medicine says. Some forms of the condition cause pain in the fingers without originating from the tendons in the fingers. For example, lateral epicondylitis, also known as tennis elbow, causes pain along the back side of the elbow and into the thumb-side of the hand. Tendons in the wrist cause this condition. Pain and swelling in the thumb is commonly associated with DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis.
For trigger-finger forms of tendonitis, the tendon sheath becomes thick and inflamed, Johns Hopkins states. Symptoms include difficulty extending or flexing the finger. Fingers lock up suddenly for those who have this condition.
Tendon pain is also a sign of tendinosis, WebMD elaborates. This condition is caused by small tears in the tissue around the tendon. Its symptoms include stiffness and decreased strength in the finger. Other conditions that have similar symptoms to tendontitis include carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive motion syndrome and ganglion cysts. Home treatment of these symptoms is effective for many cases of tendonitis.
Doctors accurately diagnose tendonitis symptoms, so patients experiencing these symptoms need to consult with a medical professional, Johns Hopkins Medicine says.