5 ways to treat a jammed, swollen finger

Jamming a finger causes severe pain and usually swelling. Discover the causes of this swelling and the most effective treatments.

A jammed finger is a relatively common injury in athletes and is often diagnosed in basketball and football players. It’s frequently the result of sudden impact between the finger and an object, or forced movement and excessive bending.

If the finger swells, it’s because the impact has caused ligaments surrounding the joint to become inflamed. In some cases, acute injury causes dislocation and even fractures. If you can't bend your finger, even slightly, without feeling serious pain, your fingermay bebroken.

Beyond swelling, injury to the proximalinterphalangealjoint can cause stiffness, reduce mobility and makes it more sensitive and painful to the touch.

A few simply precautions will greatly reduce your risk of encountering this type of injury. Before exercising, make sure toincorporatehand and finger stretches into your routine. By preparing your hands and finger joints for physical activity, you’ll be much less susceptible to injury.

While some accidents are unforeseeable, this type of everyday sprain or injury often occurs under very normal circumstances, such as catching a finger in a bike spill or by slamming it in a car door. However, you will lessen the symptoms and relieve pain post-injury by following a few of these well-known and trusted techniques:

1. Available in all pharmacies, ibuprofen not only relieves pain but also reduces swelling.
2. Rest your hand, do not attempt to move or bend the injured finger. Resting the joint will allow it to recover faster and avoid complications.
3. Cold therapy effectively relieves pain and reduces swelling.
4. Anchor the injured finger to a healthy one using tape. This facilitates the healing process by providing support and preventing further displacement.
5. Hold your finger higher than your heart to stimulate blood flow to the veins of the hand and fingers. In addition to improving blood circulation, you'll find thispositionalso alleviates pain and throbbing.

Following these simple tips will promote healing; depending onthe severity ofthe injury, symptoms should completely disappear within two to eight weeks.