How Do I Treat a Jammed Finger?
Almost all of us have experienced the pain and swelling of a jammed finger, whether it was caught in a car door or slammed by a falling lid. There are a number of ways to treat a jammed finger yourself, although few self-treatments can replace the skilled attention of a medical professional. A finger that is not too seriously injured can be immobilized with a splint, and analgesics and anti-inflammatories can be used to reduce the pain and swelling. When in doubt, you should contact your health care professional to be sure you properly treat your injury.
Before treating a jammed finger, you should first assess the damage. An obvious deformation, immediate bruising, or complete loss of mobility could be signs of a serious fracture or dislocation. Only a trained medical professional should treat a jammed finger which displays the characteristics of a broken bone or damaged circulatory system. If the injury is severe, use an arm sling to immobilize the hand and go immediately to an emergency room for treatment.
If the injury does not appear to be severe, you can treat a jammed finger much like you would treat any other sprained extremity. Most doctors recommend using the RICE method for this type of injury: rest, icing, compression, and elevation. The finger should be immobilized with a commercial finger splint or wrapped with gauze tape and a tongue depressor or even a wooden craft stick. Depending on the finger, you may be able to tape it to an adjoining healthy finger for added support; this is commonly done to treat a jammed finger or toe too short for splinting. A splint will prevent the finger from moving, allowing it to rest, and also provide compression, which helps reduce swelling.
The pain of a jammed finger can be alleviated through oral painkillers, such as aspirin or sodium naproxen. Once the initial swelling has been reduced with compression and ice, the pain usually lessens. Sports creams that contain analgesics or warming agents could also be applied to the affected finger to provide some muscular pain relief. To treat a jammed finger with no signs of dislocation or fracture, a warm soak in an Epsom salt bath may provide some relief as well; doctors often recommend switching from icing to heat treatments 48 hours after the injury.
To treat a jammed finger which has been dislocated, it is usually best to consult a medical professional. In an emergency, you may be able to reset a dislocated finger yourself with a deliberate pulling action, but keep in mind that the process can be extremely painful to endure. The pain should subside significantly once the jammed finger is properly reset, however. When in doubt of the outcome, simply immobilize the affected finger and allow a trained physician to manipulate the dislocation in a controlled setting.
Written by Michael Pollick
