how to rehab a jammed thumb

What is the fastest way to heal a sprained thumb?

Bend the tip of your thumb downward, then straighten it. Repeat 8 to 12 times. Thumb MP flexion Place your forearm and hand on a table with your affected thumb pointing up. With your other hand, hold the base of your thumb and palm steady. Bend your thumb downward where it meets your palm, then straighten it. Repeat 8 to 12 times. Thumb opposition

How to make a jammed finger heal faster?

Feb 16, 2022 · What is the fastest way to heal a jammed finger? Treatment . Apply ice for 15 minutes each hour to bring down the swelling. If you don’t have ice, you can soak the finger in cold water instead. Keep your finger elevated above chest level. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) to ease any discomfort.

How to treat a jammed finger. not getting better?

Apr 26, 2016 · Healing a Sprained Thumb 1. A Splint or Cast. If there is a partially torn ligament, a cast or splint is used. It helps speed up the healing... 2. Thumb Taping. Thumb taping is another way to prevent the thumb from moving and potentially making the injury worse. 3. Thumb Bracing. A thumb brace is ...

How long does a sliced thumb take to heal?

Apr 07, 2017 · To treat a jammed finger: Ice the finger with a cold pack for 15 minutes. Placing your finger in ice water works, too. Elevate your hand to reduce swelling.

How long does it take to heal from a jammed thumb?

A mild sprain usually heals within four to six weeks if you wear a splint or cast to immobilize your thumb and refrain from activities that irritate it. A more severe thumb sprain, such as a grade 3 sprain, could take several months before it's fully healed and you're able to use your thumb like normal again.Dec 23, 2021

Will a jammed thumb heal on its own?

Most of the time a jammed finger will get better on its own within a week or two. But even with treatment, your finger may stay swollen or sensitive for many months. During recovery, try to use the finger as little as possible while it heals. Take a break from sports or other activities that could worsen your injury.

How do you tell if your thumb is sprained or just jammed?

When you sprain your thumb, you'll usually feel pain, discomfort, and stiffness at the base of your thumb near the palm. You may have trouble grabbing or pinching objects, or barely be able to move your thumb. You'll also see swelling and bruising around the base of your thumb.

Does tape help a jammed thumb?

Taping the thumb can provide protection from further injury especially if the athlete wants to continue to participate in sports during the healing process. Once the swelling begins to subside, the athlete can begin range of motion and strengthening exercises for the thumb and hand.

Does pulling a jammed finger help?

If you are like many athletes, one of the most common recommendations for an acute finger sprain is to “pull it out.” This should not be done. Pulling on any joint could create further stress on a newly injured ligament.

How do you strengthen a sprained thumb?

Thumb IP flexion Place your forearm and hand on a table with your affected thumb pointing up. With your other hand, hold your thumb steady just below the joint nearest your thumbnail. Bend the tip of your thumb downward, then straighten it. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

How do you strap a sprained thumb?

Position your thumb against your palm and push your hand toward your ulna bone. Place the tape over the knuckle of the thumb and up your arm. With a 2-inch wide kinesiology tape, place it perpendicularly over the wrist but do not wrap it completely around the wrist.Jul 25, 2020

How to straighten your thumb?

Place your forearm and hand on a table with your affected thumb pointing up. With your other hand, hold the base of your thumb and palm steady. Bend your thumb downward where it meets your palm, then straighten it. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

How to do thumb IP flexion?

slide 1 of 3, Thumb IP flexion, Place your forearm and hand on a table with your affected thumb pointing up. With your other hand, hold your thumb steady just below the joint nearest your thumbnail. Bend the tip of your thumb downward, then straighten it. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

How to improve thumb strength?

These thumb rehab exercises can help improve strength and range of motion. Between texting, typing, gripping groceries and cutting open packages, your hands get a lot of action during the day. But this frequent, repetitive use can make your thumbs prone overuse injuries, including tendonitis and sprains.

How to stretch thumb from palm?

Advertisement. Steps: ​. Lay your hand down flat on a table and stretch your thumb away from your palm as far as you can.

What happens when you overuse your thumb?

This condition happens when the tendons around the base of your thumb, right where your thumb hooks into your hand, become inflamed. This irritation causes swelling, pain ...

How to strengthen the wrist?

Steps: ​. Place the elbow of your affected thumb on a table or other flat surface. Gently bend your wrist forward and hold for 5 seconds. Complete 2 sets of 15 reps.

How long does it take for a jammed finger to heal?

While you wait for it to heal, apply ice to your finger for 10-15 minutes every hour until the pain and swelling subside.

What happens if your finger is jammed?

A jammed finger usually involves damage to the ligaments surrounding the finger joints and reduced movement in the affected joint due to compaction.

How to tell if your finger is jammed?

Make sure the injury isn't serious. The amount of pain felt from a musculoskeletal injury is not always positively correlated to the degree of seriousness. In other words, an injury may really hurt, but it's not always serious. A jammed finger can often be very painful initially, but it's not nearly as serious of an injury compared to dislocated and fractured fingers. The tell-tale sign of a dislocated or badly fractured finger is some degree of crookedness; a moderate amount of swelling or bruising can also be signs of a fracture. As such, if your finger is really hurting and it's bent at an unnatural angle or is very swollen or bruised, then seek medical attention as soon as you can. If not, then rest and home care are warranted instead.

What is a jammed finger?

This article has been viewed 2,049,356 times. A jammed finger is a type of joint sprain that's sustained from significant impact to the end of a finger. Jammed fingers are a common type of sports injury, especially from playing volleyball, basketball, football, and rugby. Jammed finger joints often heal without need for treatment, ...

Why do my fingers get jammed?

Mishandling the ball in sports such as basketball, volleyball and baseball is a frequent cause of jammed fingers. If such activity caused your finger injury, then you'll likely have to take a break from the sport — anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on severity.

Can a jammed finger heal?

Jammed finger joints often heal without need for treatment, although specific home care approaches can speed up recovery times. In some cases, medical treatment is needed to return a jammed finger back to normal function and range of motion. Steps.

How to heal a strained thumb?

Here are a number of possible treatments for a sprained thumb that your doctor and/or physiotherapist will recommend. 1. A Splint or Cast.

What is the best way to heal a torn ligament in your thumb?

A Splint or Cast. If there is a partially torn ligament, a cast or splint is used. It helps speed up the healing process by keeping the injured thumb in a constricted environment, to prevent use, overextension, and further injury. 2.

Why do you tape your thumb?

When participating in heavy contact sports, or sports like volleyball where you use your fingers a lot, taping can be an effective method of prevention in keeping the thumb joint stabilized and preventing ulnar collateral ligament injuries. There are a few ways to tape a thumb, depending on how the joint was damaged.

How long does it take to heal a sprained thumb?

The recovery time for a sprained thumb is typically four to six weeks unless the ligament is torn, in which case a more involved sprained thumb treatment, such as surgery, is necessary and will result in a much longer recovery time.

What is the ligament in a sprain?

A ligament is soft tissue that connects bones to other bones, creating a complete joint. Thumb sprains are common in sports such as volleyball, rugby, martial arts, skiing, and even basketball and Ultimate Frisbee to some extent.

How to diagnose thumb sprain?

The following are how most thumb sprains are diagnosed: Your doctor will first look at the injury and if they need a second opinion they may refer you to a specialist. Next, your doctor may do a stress test, in which they put pressure on the injured ligament.

What happens if you don't treat a sprained thumb?

If you don’t seek treatment for your sprained thumb and you continue to engage in physical activities (even regular activities) too soon, the following complications might occur: Chronic pain; Chronic thumb joint instability, and a possibility for it to happen again but with less force applied; and.

Why does my finger get jammed?

This type of injury may also result for other reasons. You reach out your arm to break a fall, and your finger jabs into the ground. The result is often a jammed finger.

What happens if your finger is deformed?

You cannot straighten your finger. The area becomes hot and inflamed and you develop a fever. Swelling and pain becomes significant or persistent. The finger becomes numb, and turns white or less pink.

How to protect the finger when using Buddy tape?

To protect the finger during use: Buddy tape the injured finer to an adjacent finger use a self-adhesive wrap to tape above and below the finer joint - for example, index finger to middle finger or ring finger to small finger.

How to treat a swollen muscle after a sprain?

Use an ice pack or slush bath of ice and water for 15 to 20 minutes each time and repeat every two to three hours while you're awake for the first few days following the injury. Cold reduces pain, swelling and inflammation in injured muscles, joints and connective tissues.

How to prevent deconditioning of ankle?

But don't avoid all physical activity. Instead, give yourself relative rest. With an ankle sprain, you can usually still exercise other muscles to prevent deconditioning. For example, you could use an exercise bicycle, working both your arms and the uninjured leg while resting the injured ankle on a footrest peg.

How to get a jammed finger out of your hand?

Lift your injured hand, with your palm facing toward your body. Use your unaffected-side hand to gently bend your jammed finger toward your palm. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Gently and slowly return your finger to the original position. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

What to do if your finger is jammed?

This is an injury that can be extremely painful. The first thing to do to treat the finger and help its recovery is to immediately ice it. Dipping your injured finger in ice water will numb the area. However, you can't keep your hand in ice water indefinitely. After five to 10 minutes, take your hand out of the ice water and use an ice pack.

How to stretch a jammed finger?

Stretch your jammed finger tendons by doing an assisted finger bend, according to the National institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Start doing this exercise while in a splint. Bend your affected-side elbow at a 90-degree angle. Keep your elbow at your side.

What is jammed finger exercise?

Jammed finger exercises involve simple stretching and strengthening that help rehabilitate and protect your hand from further injury. Check with your doctor prior to starting.

How long does it take for a finger to heal from a sprain?

After keeping your finger elevated for two to six hours, put your finger in warm water for 15 to 30 minutes in order to manage the pain and improve circulation. This is the most important thing in the healing process. You have to ensure good circulation to get the finger to heal.

How to get your wrist to stop hurting?

Place your injured-side arm onto the arm rest, palm facing up. Slide your arm so your wrist is unsupported, according to the National Institute on Aging. Place the weight into your injured-side palm. Slowly lower the weight downward while bending your wrist toward the floor.

How to get rid of a swollen elbow?

Use a medium-width rubber band. Either stand or sit for this exercise. Place the rubber band around the tips of your affected-side fingers and thumb, according to the physical therapy business Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma. Lift your forearm so your elbow is at a 90-degree angle.