Finger sprain is quite common. It occurs when the ligament that connects the finger joints is torn or stretched. However, it is not a serious injury but could make you feel uncomfortable and hinder your day-to-day activities.
Are you wondering how to know if your finger is actually sprained, or is it just common pain? Here are the symptoms, causes, and treatment of a sprained finger.
Symptoms Of Finger Sprain
Swelling is a primary sign of a sprained finger. You might also:
- Feel some pain when your finger is in use. If it hurts still after the 48 hours of the incident, consider it sprained.
- Have a hard time moving, bending, straightening, or extending the finger.
- Notice your finger bending on its own. In such a case, watch out for cramps and spasms in your muscles.
- See some parts of your finger turning red.
- Notice the underside of your finger is puffier than usual.
What Causes A Sprained Finger?
- An Injury
Mostly, a sprain is caused when the finger is bent too far backward (hyperextension) or in the wrong direction.
Your finger is most likely to bend this way during physical activities, especially while playing sports like basketball and volleyball, as these involve your hands. Accidentally, your finger might smash with the ball or the player, thus, causing a sprain.
- Falling On Your Hand
We try to balance using our hands when we fall. But due to lack of balance & coordination or weak ligaments, we are most likely to fall on our hands, and can cause finger sprain.
How Is A Sprained Finger Diagnosed?
While diagnosing a sprained finger, the doctor asks you the symptoms. They further inspect the finger joint and ask you to flex and extend the finger to see how it moves.
In some cases, they might also do a physical test - X-Ray of your finger to check for fracture, evaluate the severity of sprain & extent of the damage.
How To Treat A Sprained Finger?
You can treat the sprained finger naturally with RICE therapy.
R - If the finger is sprained due to a specific sport or activity, take a break from it and let your finger rest till the time it heals.
I - Within 24 hours of the injury, apply an ice pack to the injured finger for 15-20 minutes at a time. Do not put ice directly on the skin. Wrap it in a plastic bag or a cloth before using it.
C - Gently wrap an elastic compression bandage around the injured finger to prevent swelling and pain.
E - Keep your injured finger elevated using a sling to reduce swelling.
Conclusion
You can even just intake our Bael Wellness Joint Support Supplements for faster sprain recovery.
It comes with turmeric, green tea, flaxseed, black pepper, ginger, and many other extracts that make it a perfect solution to relieve pain and improve mobility of the sprained finger.
