Table of ContentsView All
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Table of Contents
Icing
Tape and Rest
Recovery
Back to Normal
Frequently Asked Questions
A jammed finger is when the tip of your finger is forcefully pushed toward the hand, causing the joint to become compressed. This can cause ligaments to stretch, sprain, or tear.Also known as a sprained finger, it causes pain and swelling in one or more ofyour fingersor finger joints.
While a jammed finger can be painful, you should be able to move it. If you are unable to wiggle it, it may be broken or dislocated and may require x-rays. If no fractures or dislocations occur, a jammed finger can often heal with at-home treatment.
This article explains how to treat a jammed finger. You’ll also learn when to see a healthcare provider for a jammed finger.
Verywell / JR Bee
What Are the Most Common Finger Injuries?
Icing a Jammed Finger
The first step to take after you jam your finger is icing the injury and keeping it elevated. You can use an ice pack or even a bag of frozen vegetableswrapped in a towelon a jammed finger.
Ice your finger in 15-minute intervals. Take the ice off and wait until the finger goes back to its normal temperature before icing again.
Do not icea jammed finger for more than three 15-minute intervals in one hour.
Why Is My Finger Bent?
If the finger you jammed does not move easily or the pain gets worse when you move it, you’ll need to see a provider andhave an X-rayto check for a bone fractureor dislocation.
After the swelling goes down and the pain starts to get better, try to move your finger a bit. If the injury is mild, you will be able to move the finger with little discomfort for a short time.
How to Tell If You Broke Your Finger
Tape and Rest a Jammed Finger
If the jammed finger is not broken or dislocated, you can tape it to the finger next to it to keep it from moving. This is called “buddy taping.”
Use medical-grade tape for a jammed finger. You can also place a piece of gauze between the fingers to prevent blisters and moisture while it’s healing.
Your provider might suggest you weara finger splintto keep the jammed finger lined up with the rest of your fingers. A splint can also help prevent a jammed finger from getting hurt again.
How to Buddy Tape a Jammed Finger
Resting and Healing a Jammed Finger
A jammed finger needs to be kept still to heal, but eventually, you will want to start moving it again to help strengthen it.
Physical therapy exercisescan be helpful for a recovering jammed finger. Your primary care provider might be able to refer you to a physical therapist who can make sure your finger has a healthyrange of motion, movement, and circulation as it heals, and offer suggestions for your recovery.
If you work with achiropractororosteopath, they may also have recommendations for helping your jammed finger get better.
How to Heal a Finger Sprain
Easing a Jammed Finger Back to Normal
It might take a few days or even weeks for a jammed finger to start feeling back to normal. As soon as you’ve given it a chance to heal—and you know it’s not dislocated or broken—you’ll want to ease back into using it normally.
If you keep avoiding using a jammed finger, it will lose strength. Over time, not using the finger can make it weaker and more likely to get injured.
How to Treat a Smashed Finger
Summary
A jammed finger is a common injury that’s usually not serious. Icing, resting, and taping a jammed finger is often enough to allow it to heal in a week or two.
However, if you can’t move the finger or it hurts too much to move it, you’ll need an X-ray to make sure it’s not broken or dislocated. While a jammed finger will often get better quickly, a broken finger or joint dislocation can take months to get better.
How Serious Is a Jersey Finger Sports Injury?
Frequently Asked QuestionsA jammed finger might be broken or dislocated if you cannot move it or if it hurts too much to move it. The only way to know if you’ve broken or dislocated a jammed finger is to have an X-ray.A jammed finger can be sore and swollen for a few days or even a week, but icing and taping it so it doesn’t move too much while it heals will help. If the pain and swelling persists longer than that, see a healthcare provider to get it checked for a possible fracture or dislocation. Those injuries are harder to treat the longer you wait.
A jammed finger might be broken or dislocated if you cannot move it or if it hurts too much to move it. The only way to know if you’ve broken or dislocated a jammed finger is to have an X-ray.
A jammed finger can be sore and swollen for a few days or even a week, but icing and taping it so it doesn’t move too much while it heals will help. If the pain and swelling persists longer than that, see a healthcare provider to get it checked for a possible fracture or dislocation. Those injuries are harder to treat the longer you wait.
What Is a Mallet Finger?
6 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Jammed finger.Carruthers KH, Skie M, Jain M.Jam injuries of the finger: Diagnosis and management of injuries to the interphalangeal joints across multiple sports and levels of experience.Sports Health. 2016;8(5):469-78. doi:10.1177/1941738116658643Won SH, Lee S, Chung CY, et al.Buddy taping: Is it a safe method for treatment of finger and toe injuries?Clin Orthop Surg. 2014;6(1):26-31. doi:10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.26Fort Worth Hand Center.7 physical therapy finger exercises to heal your injured hand.The Hand Surgery Specialists of Texas.Jammed finger 101: symptoms, treatment options and causes.University of Utah Health.Should I worry about a jammed finger?
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Jammed finger.Carruthers KH, Skie M, Jain M.Jam injuries of the finger: Diagnosis and management of injuries to the interphalangeal joints across multiple sports and levels of experience.Sports Health. 2016;8(5):469-78. doi:10.1177/1941738116658643Won SH, Lee S, Chung CY, et al.Buddy taping: Is it a safe method for treatment of finger and toe injuries?Clin Orthop Surg. 2014;6(1):26-31. doi:10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.26Fort Worth Hand Center.7 physical therapy finger exercises to heal your injured hand.The Hand Surgery Specialists of Texas.Jammed finger 101: symptoms, treatment options and causes.University of Utah Health.Should I worry about a jammed finger?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Jammed finger.Carruthers KH, Skie M, Jain M.Jam injuries of the finger: Diagnosis and management of injuries to the interphalangeal joints across multiple sports and levels of experience.Sports Health. 2016;8(5):469-78. doi:10.1177/1941738116658643Won SH, Lee S, Chung CY, et al.Buddy taping: Is it a safe method for treatment of finger and toe injuries?Clin Orthop Surg. 2014;6(1):26-31. doi:10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.26Fort Worth Hand Center.7 physical therapy finger exercises to heal your injured hand.The Hand Surgery Specialists of Texas.Jammed finger 101: symptoms, treatment options and causes.University of Utah Health.Should I worry about a jammed finger?
American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Jammed finger.
Carruthers KH, Skie M, Jain M.Jam injuries of the finger: Diagnosis and management of injuries to the interphalangeal joints across multiple sports and levels of experience.Sports Health. 2016;8(5):469-78. doi:10.1177/1941738116658643
Won SH, Lee S, Chung CY, et al.Buddy taping: Is it a safe method for treatment of finger and toe injuries?Clin Orthop Surg. 2014;6(1):26-31. doi:10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.26
Fort Worth Hand Center.7 physical therapy finger exercises to heal your injured hand.
The Hand Surgery Specialists of Texas.Jammed finger 101: symptoms, treatment options and causes.
University of Utah Health.Should I worry about a jammed finger?
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