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Fell Down, Landed On Index Finger, Swelling, Hurts, Bruising. Is Something Wrong? Will It Heal On Its Own?
I fell down and landed on my index finger and caused it to bend backwards. It immediately started to swell and it is very stiff and it hurts when i try to bend it. It also has some bruising. Is something very wrong with it or will it heal and get better on its own?
Wed, 11 Dec 2013
Hi, thanks for writing to HCM.
From the description of your injury pattern, you might have possibly suffered either a dislocation or a fracture of the involved finger. An xray of the injured finger is mandatory to ruleout any fracture.
The initial treatment guidelines for your condition is as follows -
- Protect the injured area from further injury by using a support or splint
- Rest the injured joint . Avoid activity for the first 48 to 72 hours.
- Ice packing the painful area for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury. Apply ice wrapped in a damp towel to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours during the day
- Keep the injured area raised/elevated to help reduce swelling.
- Use simple analgesics like aleve or advil as needed.
If your symptoms fail to improve with the above measures, consult an orthopedic surgeon for definitive management.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
From the description of your injury pattern, you might have possibly suffered either a dislocation or a fracture of the involved finger. An xray of the injured finger is mandatory to ruleout any fracture.
The initial treatment guidelines for your condition is as follows -
- Protect the injured area from further injury by using a support or splint
- Rest the injured joint . Avoid activity for the first 48 to 72 hours.
- Ice packing the painful area for the first 48 to 72 hours after the injury. Apply ice wrapped in a damp towel to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours during the day
- Keep the injured area raised/elevated to help reduce swelling.
- Use simple analgesics like aleve or advil as needed.
If your symptoms fail to improve with the above measures, consult an orthopedic surgeon for definitive management.
Hope this information is helpful. Good day
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