Ice Therapy
As soon as you suffer a jammed finger injury, applying ice is a must. Ice reduces the body’s inflammatory response and helps ease pain and swelling to a considerable extent.
Wrap a few ice cubes in a thin towel.
Apply this pack to the injured finger for 10 minutes.
Allow the finger to return to normal temperature, then reapply an ice pack.
Repeat the procedure 2 or 3 more times.
Use ice packs 4 or 5 times throughout the day for the first couple of days.
Instead of ice, you can use a bag of frozen vegetables. While using ice therapy, you need to rest the affected finger to ensure quick healing.
Splint the Finger
Keep the affected finger splinted or immobilized until the pain is completely gone. A splint will keep the affected finger straight and prevent movement while it heals.
The splint should not be too tight, which can inhibit blood circulation and lead to numbness or tingling sensations.
If wearing a splint is uncomfortable, you may remove it each day for some time, but be sure not to bend your finger too much.
You may need to wear the splint for 1 to 4 weeks, depending upon the severity of the injury and how quickly the finger heals.
For a minor jammed finger, you can even tape the affected finger to an adjacent finger and be sure to restrict usage and allow it to rest.
Keep the Finger Elevated
When suffering from a jammed finger, keep the affected finger elevated above chest level. This will increase venous return of blood to the systemic circulation, which in turn reduces discomforts like swelling, inflammation and pain.
Elevation also facilitates elimination of waste products and speeds up the healing process.
Elevation is one of the elements of ‘RICE’, a mnemonic for 4 elements used to treat soft tissue injuries. RICE stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.
While sleeping or sitting, keep a few pillows by your side on which to rest and elevate your hand.
Rest the Finger
To ensure quick healing, you need to allow the injured finger to rest. Proper rest is a key component for repairing soft tissue damage.
Continual strain will lead to increased inflammation, pain and possible further injury. Plus, without rest, the healing time will gradually increase.
Rest the injured finger as much as possible and avoid any jerky, painful movements. Any kind of strenuous activity will only aggravate the injury.
You can continue exercising the rest of your body and muscles to prevent deconditioning.