Posted: 4/13/2012 7:33:45 AM EDT
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How can I tell if I broke my finger or not?
I'm assuming I wouldn't be able to bend it at all. I can, but I have to do it slowly and it really hurts. No swelling or discoloration although it feels hot. I suspect I just jammed it or something (grabbing for my laptop when it fell onto the floor) but I saw stars and it still doesn't feel right. Happened about 15 minutes ago. Sadly, through the pain, my first thought was, "There goes the range trip today." 
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You could of jammed it,dislocated a knuckle,or broken it.Get it checked out. I have done all 3 at one time or another.Dislocated knuckle was the worst(and hurt the least). There are no stupid questions.....Only stupid people who ask questions.  I can squeeze on it and it barely hurts but bending it is painful. I just pulled on it and nothing weird happened. |
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Just ice it down, and if you really think it's broken just tape it to the finger next to it. That's about all the ER would do for you anyhow. Ice it down yes. The other part I tried after being in a fight and thinking I dislocated my ring finger in my early 20's. proceeded to work on a "slitter" at a steel tube joint for 3 weeks... "It's just sprained" finally after weeks of pain everytime I bumped the thing I went to the hospital.... Turned out to be fractured in the joint. two pins, an intern with a drill  and 95 vicodin later...
I had to buy an oversized wedding ring and still don't have full use. Give it a day or two if its wrecked just admit its wrecked and get an X-ray. |
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I remember in Jr. High we were playing knee football on the wrestling mat and one guy got three of his fingers dislocated from somebody's knee landing on his hand. It looked wicked. His fingers were bent backwards and all contorted. He was white as a ghost and sweating with pain.
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Just ice it down, and if you really think it's broken just tape it to the finger next to it. That's about all the ER would do for you anyhow. Ice it down yes. The other part I tried after being in a fight and thinking I dislocated my ring finger in my early 20's. proceeded to work on a "slitter" at a steel tube joint for 3 weeks... "It's just sprained" finally after weeks of pain everytime I bumped the thing I went to the hospital.... Turned out to be fractured in the joint. two pins, an intern with a drill and 95 vicodin later...
I had to buy an oversized wedding ring and still don't have full use. Give it a day or two if its wrecked just admit its wrecked and get an X-ray. This is my ring finger also. I have full use of it. And bending it one way (like making a claw hand) is fine. It's only when it sort of rolls down into a fist that it hurts at that joint. This is annoying. |
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I remember in Jr. High we were playing knee football on the wrestling mat and one guy got three of his fingers dislocated from somebody's knee landing on his hand. It looked wicked. His fingers were bent backwards and all contorted. He was white as a ghost and sweating with pain. 
I'm actually pretty ok with seeing injuries on myself. It's seeing other peoples' that makes me nauseated. And my kids––––––-whoo boy! I'll come close to passing out at the slightest injury. When my daughter was 2 she fell into the coffee table and was screaming with blood pouring from her mouth. I couldn't even look in her mouth to see the damage because of what I imagined I'd see. My husband checked her out and told me to look. I steeled myself and looked to see the frenulum on her top lip was stuck between her 2 front teeth. Just THAT made me get hot and dizzy and I had to sit with my head between my legs until it passed. I'm such a wuss when it comes to my kids in pain. 
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Find someone with x-ray vision, they'll tell you. See, in GD, there's always truly helpful advice mixed in with all the rest. I know that I'll always get accuracy AND humor. Best resource, hands down. The local Urgent Care has X-ray vision. It's pretty much impossible to diagnose a broken finger unless it's so mangled that it's partway off. A jammed finger hurts more than a fracture IMO, although I've done both. If it isn't deformed, don't worry about it much. Press your fingernail down until the nail bed turns white and release it. It should turn pink in less than one second. If not, you have circulation problems and should see a doctor. Scrape your fingertip with a bent paperclip or something to make sure you still feel it clearly. If not, see a doctor. Otherwise, tape your broken finger to an uninjured one and leave them like that for three weeks, then go easy on your hand for another three weeks. ETA - if you do this, keep checking your nail bed for the first two or three days. If your finger swells against the tape it might reduce your circulation. If you notice slow response to the fingernail test or if your fingertip tingles like it went to sleep, remove the tape and put new tape on looser. |