What is a jammed finger

A jammed finger is typically a sprain to the joint or knuckle, of the finger. There may also be a small fracture or dislocation of the joint. Jammed finger 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.

Jammed finger injury may also result for other reasons. You reach out your arm to break a fall, and your finger jabs into the ground. The result is often a jammed finger.

Jammed finger injury usually heals quickly if there is no broken bone (fracture), although the pain may linger for months when direct pressure is applied to the finger.

How to treat a jammed finger

To treat a jammed finger:

• Ice your finger with a cold pack for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours to reduce swelling. Placing your finger in ice water works, too. Cold reduces pain, swelling and inflammation in injured muscles, joints and connective tissues. It also may slow bleeding if a tear has occurred. If the iced area turns white, stop treatment immediately. This could indicate frostbite. If you have vascular disease, diabetes or decreased sensation, talk with your doctor before applying ice.
• Elevate your hand to reduce swelling.
• Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen also can be helpful.

To protect the finger during use:

Buddy tape the injured finer to an adjacent finder use a self-adhesive wrap to tape above and below the finer joint – for example, index finger to middle finger or ring finger to small finger.

It’s very important that the end of your finger doesn’t bend during the time it’s splinted because it may slow down healing and reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.

Surgery is only needed if you also have a broken finger, the skin is broken, or in rare cases where jammed finger fails to heal.

Seek medical care if:

• Your finger appears deformed.
• You cannot straighten your finger.
• The area become hots and inflamed and you develop a fever.
• Swelling and pain becomes significant of persistent.
• The finger becomes numb, and turns white or pale less pink.

Children require medical care because damage to the growth plate of a finger bone can lead to long term deformity.

How to keep your finger clean

You must keep your splinted finger clean and dry at all times. If the skin inside the splint gets wet it will become very sore.

It’s important to wash both your finger and the splint at least once a day, following the instructions below.

• Keep your finger flat on the table, cut the strapping, and slide the splint off your finger.
• Wash and dry your finger and the splint using soap and water. Keep the end joint straight at all times by keeping your finger flat on the table. It may be easier if someone helps you to do this each day, as any movement of the end of your finger will delay the healing of the tendon, and may even cause permanent damage.
• Slide the splint back over the fingertip, still keeping the finger straight.
• Replace the strapping – this should cover the middle of the splint, but shouldn’t cover the middle joint of the finger.

How long does a jammed finger take to heal?

It should take six to eight weeks for your finger to heal, after which time you’ll be able to use it again. In some cases, you may only need to see a specialist once, as a hand physiotherapist may be able to take over your care. They’ll give you exercises to do at home to help prevent your finger becoming stiff. Exercising your finger after an injury can make it stronger and easier to move. However, you shouldn’t start these exercises until your doctor says it is safe.

Depending on your job, you may need to take some time off work. You should also avoid sports involving the hands while your injury is healing.

It may take several months for your finger to become fully functional. Redness, swelling and tenderness of the skin around the end of the finger are common for three or four months after injury but usually settle eventually.

You may be left with a small bump on the top of the joint and be unable to fully straighten the joint. Your finger may not be exactly the same as it was before the injury, but overall it should function well.

Jammed finger vs Broken finger

Get medical advice as soon as possible if you think you have broken a finger or thumb. A broken finger or fracture may need treatment to heal properly.

It can be hard to tell if a finger is broken, dislocated or badly sprained. You’ll probably need an X-ray.

Go to the accident and emergency department if:

You have had an injury and the finger or thumb:

• is pointing at an odd angle
• looks blue or feels numb
• is cut and you can see bone through it
• is cut and there’s bone poking out of it

While you’re waiting to see a doctor

• try not to move the finger or thumb – it may help to tape it to the finger next to it
• lift your hand up to reduce swelling
• apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a tea towel for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours to reduce swelling
• if there’s a cut, cover it with a clean dressing
• take a painkiller, such as paracetamol (but do not take ibuprofen until a doctor has confirmed your finger or thumb is broken)
• remove any rings from the affected hand

Treatments for a broken finger or thumb

A doctor might:

• try to straighten your finger – they’ll give you an injection of local anaesthetic to numb the pain
• put your finger in a splint or cast, or strap it to another finger to keep it in position
• give you a tetanus injection or antibiotics if there’s a cut to prevent infection

You may need surgery for complicated breaks – for example, if it’s broken in lots of places or the nerves are damaged.

You may be invited back for a follow-up appointment to check how your finger or thumb is healing.

How long it takes to recover from a broken finger?

A broken finger or thumb usually heals within 2 to 8 weeks, but it can take longer. It may be 3 to 4 months before full strength returns to your hand.

Once it’s healed, use your finger or thumb as normal. Moving it will stop it getting stiff. Your doctor may be able to give you some gentle hand exercises.

Ask your doctor when you can return to contact sports or other activities that put a lot of strain on your fingers.

See your doctor if:

• you’re worried the break is not healing properly
• the pain and swelling has not started to ease after a few days
• it hurts to use the finger or thumb once the cast or strapping is off.