What does sprained your finger mean?
A sprained finger involves torn or stretched soft tissues, such as a ligament, in your finger. These soft tissues connect bones to other bones and supports your joints. Finger sprains are common. They tend to be caused by sports injuries or trauma (such as a car accident or fall for example).
How do you sprain your finger?
Sprained fingers are caused by physical impact to the finger. In most cases, sprains are caused by a blow to the end of a finger, which reverberates up to the joint and causes it to become hyperextended. This stretches or tears the ligaments. Sports injuries are extremely common causes of sprained fingers.
Can you sprain one finger?
A sprained finger is common in sports with the most common injury being a sprain to one of the ligaments located within the finger. Each finger has three small bones (phalanges) separated by two interphalangeal joints.
How can I tell if I sprained my finger?
If your finger is sprained, you might have:
- Pain in one of your finger joints when you try to move or use it.
- Stiffness in your finger or having a hard time straightening or bending it.
- Tenderness in your joint when you touch the area.
- Swelling in one of your finger joints.
How do you tell if finger is broken or sprained?
How do you tell if your finger is broken?
- Swelling that lasts for several days.
- Swelling that may extend to other parts of the hand.
- Bruising around the injured area.
- Extremely sharp pain.
- Limited range of motion of the finger.
- The finger looks misshapen or deformed.
- Stiffness.
- Burning or tingling.
How long does a finger sprain take to heal?
With basic rest and care, most sprained fingers start to feel much better within 48 hours. More moderate sprains often take 3 to 6 weeks to heal entirely.
How do I know if I sprained my finger?
Can you move a sprained finger?
You need to try not to move your finger while it is healing. That can be hard to do, but wearing a splint on your finger can help. Splints are supports that are usually made from foam and metal. A sprained finger can also be taped to one of the fingers next to it while it heals.
Can a fractured finger heal itself?
The physicians at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists treat finger injuries on a regular basis, and many will heal on their own. However, it’s important to know the difference between pain from a temporary jam and a potential fracture that needs immediate medical attention, or even surgery.
How do you tell if my finger is sprained?
What is a sprained finger and how to treat it?
Sprained Finger Treatment A sprained finger is when you either stretch or tear one of the ligaments in your finger. A ligament is a band of soft tissue. Most connect the outside surface of one bone to another bone.
How do I know if my finger is sprained?
If your finger is sprained, you might have: Pain or stiffness in one of your finger joints when you try to move it. Tenderness in your joint when you touch the area.
What causes finger ligaments to sprain?
Sprained finger ligaments. These are injured by a sideways type force bending the finger laterally or sideways. The thick volar plate is a kind of ligament which sits underneath the middle finger joint. A finger sprain can also occur through hyperextension or bending back of the finger joint.
Should you splint a sprained finger during sports?
Splinting the sprained finger during sports can help protect the injury, but unnecessarily splinting the finger will cause the digit to become stiff. You should discuss with your healthcare provider when to begin finger movements. 2 In addition to taping or splinting the injured finger, other treatments for a sprain include: