How Physiotherapy Can Relieve A Jammed Finger

A jammed finger does sound like a small problem unless you experience it. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal but often there are times the smallest injuries can cause the most discomfort. Not only jammed fingers are painful, but they also make the easiest tasks harder than usual. Jammed fingers are commonly caused by sports like basketball or when you catch yourself during a fall. Finger injuries occur in a wide variety of sports, from football to rugby and tennis, should not be a surprise. Usually, immediate treatment is recommended in order to ensure there is no further injury. If your finger is broken and you don’t treat it immediately, it can lead to arthritis. A jammed finger can be treated conventionally but usually requires care and patience to properly heal.

Symptoms:
The most obvious sign of a jammed finger is acute pain and swelling at one of the joints of the finger. Due to the swelling the knuckle of the jammed finger will be visibly larger in size. Reduced loss of motion and tenderness are also common symptoms. If your finger joints are not dislocated but your finger is severely discoloured, painful, swollen, and / or relatively immobile, you probably have a jam – and you should stop your sporting activity and seek medical help. Numbness, tingling or pale color in your jammed finger may develop due to poor blood circulation.

Preventive Action:
Athletes need to know about the steps they can take to reduce their risk of jammed fingers, and it is obvious that increased strength of the fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms should be helpful in warding off injury. Improved flexibility of the fingers, hands and wrists should also be injury-preventing. We do recommend a series of strengthening exercises to lower the risk of jammed fingers which might occur as a result of less-high-speed, lower-force impacts.

Treatment:
Complete recovery of a jammed finger may involve re-establishing the range of motion by gentle stretches of the finger, and using your other hand to manually perform circular motions with the affected finger. Expert physiotherapists recommend a series of strengthening exercises to ensure that your finger mends quickly and properly. They prescribe assisted finger stretches and finger bends, along with resistance exercises using a rubber band. This exercise regimen focuses on protecting the injured finger, strengthening it and maximizing your range of motion so that your hand can get back to normal functioning as soon as possible. Depending on the condition of your jammed finger a splint or setting the finger back in place may be needed.

Techniques to prevent a jammed finger are usually sport specific. This involves being able to masterfully perform any movement that requires the strenuous use of your fingers and hands, which reduces the risk of injury and maintains peak strength. If you’re suffering from a jammed finger, get in touch with your expert physiotherapists in Edmonton.