A jammed finger is characterized by pain and swelling usually due to an impact injury. It tends to be excruciatingly painful and instant treatment will help the joint heal faster. A majority of jammed fingers heal quickly, if there is no fracture. On the other hand, in case of a fracture, healing takes longer; anywhere from 2 weeks to 2 months.
Bruising, bleeding, and swelling of the finger will be apparent, major injuries may have occurred that are not noticeable right away. Pus, redness, and fever may not develop for a couple of days.
Causes: Direct trauma to the finger results in ligament and / or tendon damage or dislocation or fracture of the bones. A number of common kinds of injuries / traumas can result in jamming of a finger.
Home Remedies To Treat A Jammed Finger
It is possible to manage a jammed / injured finger at home, by following these home-care guidelines. Ice and elevation helps alleviate the pain and swelling significantly and also facilitate quick recovery.
- First and foremost, you need to ensure that you have not sustained a fracture. In case of a fracture it is vital that you visit your doctor. All jammed fingers will have pain; excruciating and extreme pain on slightest of movements mean there is a fracture.
- If there is no fracture pain, take an over the counter analgesic or non steroidal anti inflammatory drug to manage the discomfort. These help allay the selling, inflammation and pain significantly.
- Rest the finger; do not have any jerky, painful movements. The injury heals fastest if it isn’t under continuous strain. Strenuous activity aggravates the injury and increases the healing time.
- Ice application is advised. Apply ice to the jammed finger at least 5 times every day for the first couple of days. Ice reduces the inflammatory response and considerably eases the pain. However, do not apply the ice directly; use a cloth to hold the ice and apply on the skin. Alternately soak your injured finger in a bowl of ice cold water for 5 minutes.
- Apply tea tree essential oil or lavender essential oil to the affected area; it will help prevent the development of infection and will also mitigate some degree of pain and discomfort.
- Tie the jammed finger to the neighboring finger. Use a medical tape to tape the jammed finger to the adjacent finger. The flanking finger works like a splint, and prevents the injured finger from moving unnecessarily.
- Keep the jammed finger well elevated. Whenever possible, keep the injured finger above the level of your heart; this makes sure that there is increased venous blood flow from the area, and this facilitates elimination of wastes during the process of healing.
- Make sure that you have ginger tea daily, for a period of 2 weeks; ginger helps the process of healing and expedites recovery. In fact, it works like a non steroidal anti inflammatory drug and even helps manage pain better. Ginger reduces swelling and inflammation and mitigates pain appreciably.
- Remove the medical tape when the pain and swelling have abated. In a few days, the injury will have healed. Nonetheless, keep away from very strenuous activity until it has healed entirely. Gradually, try to move the finger in order to restore the complete range of motion.