Home remedies: Just jammed your finger?
A jammed finger is typically a sprain to the joint or knuckle. There may be a small fracture or dislocation of the joint. The injury can be extremely painful, and the joint usually becomes swollen. A jammed finger is a common sports injury. For example, your fingertip receives the full impact of a hard hit baseball, basketball rebound or volleyball spike.
This type of injury may also result for other reasons. You reach out to break a fall, and your finger jabs into the ground. This type of injury usually heals quickly if there is no fracture, though the pain may linger for months when direct pressure is applied to the finger. To treat a jam:
› Ice the finger with a cold pack for 15 minutes or place it in ice water.
› Elevate your hand to reduce swelling.
To protect it:
› Tape the injured finger to an adjacent finger. Use a self-adhesive wrap to tape above and below the finger joint.
Seek medical care if:
› Your finger appears deformed.
› You can’t straighten it. › The area is hot and you develop a fever.
› Swelling and pain is significant or persistent.
› The finger becomes numb and turns white or pale.
Children require medical care because damage to the growth plate of a finger bone can lead to long-term deformity. Try the RICE approach for any strain or sprain — rest, ice, compression, elevation:
› Rest. Avoid activities that cause pain, swelling or discomfort. Rest the injury but keep up cardiovascular conditioning.
› Ice. Use an ice pack for 15 to 20 minutes and repeat every two to three hours for the first few days. Cold reduces pain, swelling and inflammation and may slow bleeding if a tear has occurred. If the iced area turns white, stop treatment immediately.
› Compression. Compress the area with an elastic bandage until the swelling stops. Wrap at the end farthest from your heart first. Loosen if the pain increases, the area becomes numb or swelling is occurring below the wrapped area.
› Elevation. Elevate the injured area above the level of your heart.