About this topic
Your fingers and thumbs are made of small bones. A joint is the place where two bones meet. Strong bands of tissue called ligaments hold the bones together. If the ligaments are stretched or torn, you have a finger sprain. When the finger bone is forced out of its normal place, you have a dislocation. Often, a dislocation will cause very bad pain and will make your finger look deformed. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop your hand on pillows to help with swelling.
- Wear a splint or tape two fingers together to keep the injured finger from moving.
- Ask your doctor when you may do exercises for stretching and strengthening your finger.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may send you to physical therapy or occupational therapy for treatment and exercises to help you heal faster. Your doctor may send you to a specialist called an orthopedic surgeon if there is a lot of damage. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Prevent infection
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your finger and hand for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you work out or play sports, you may not be able to do these things until your health problem gets better. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Long-term damage if you do not have the finger put back in place soon enough
- Nerve, blood vessel, muscle, and ligament damage could happen if you try to put the finger in place yourself
- Partial or full loss of feeling in the finger
- Mild to very bad deformity
- Finger gets dislocated again
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wear protective equipment when playing sports.
- Do finger strengthening exercises often. If you have had this injury before, this may lower the risk of it happening again.
- Keep your home free of clutter that could cause a fall.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of a very bad reaction. These include wheezing; chest tightness; fever; itching; bad cough; blue skin color; seizures; or swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat. Go to the ER right away.
- Signs of wound infection. These include swelling, redness, warmth around the wound; too much pain when touched; yellowish, greenish, or bloody discharge; foul smell coming from the cut site; cut site opens up.
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Finger turns cold and pale
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if my finger turns cold or pale or I have more pain or swelling.
Where can I learn more?
British Society for Surgery of the Hand ‚
http://www.bssh.ac.uk/patients/commonhandconditions/fingerdislocations ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚