Difficult Thumb Piece S&W Model 36

My wife has arthritis and now has difficulty operating the Thumb Piece to open the cylinder on her S&W Model 36-7 (5-shot .38 S&W Special, 1.8-inch barrel) I have cleaned and lubed all the pieces attached to the Thumb Piece and the Extractor (rod), but not much improvement.

I have a 6-inch barrel Model 66 in stainless and the Thumb Piece on it (same basic design) is much easier to operate.

The Thumb Piece is the sloped serrated style, so it's not a matter of her thumb slipping, it's strictly about overcoming the spring loads on the Extractor with an arthritic thumb.

Q: Should I have at cleaning and lubing the two springs operating on/against the Extractor or is that a job for a Gunsmith?
Q: Anyone with experience cutting a half coil off either or both the springs (don't want the cylinder opening by accident)?
Q: Any other suggestions / ideas?
Q: How hard is it to operate the Thumb Piece on a new Airweight?

Thanks...

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Difficult Thumb Piece S&W Model 36