Finger fracture or just a sprain?

Question

Yesterday I was playing football when my left pinkie collided with someone's shoulder. Immediately, I felt this throbbing pain that took an hour to go away. My finger swelled up quickly, and by the end of the night, all but the tip was and still is a purplish color. I cannot bend the finger fully, cannot make a fist, cannot straighten it completely out, it hurts a lot and is extremely swollen(despite me putting ice on it). I haven't had it looked at by a doctor yet. Does this sound like a fracture or a sprain? Is it worth getting it checked out by a doctor?

Answer 1

You probaly did what we used to call jammed it. If the finger was fractured you would feel sick to your stomach and maybe even throw up. Also, if it were fractured, it would be misshapen. In other words it would point or look in an odd direction. There is a possibility of fracture though. I would keep trying to move it, keep icing it and watch it. If it doesn't get better, i would definitely have it x-rayed to make sure. You could probably wait a couple more days though.

Answer 2

First of all, is your finger sitting at an abnormal angle? Compare it to your other hand. Does the nail appear to be positioned differently? If not, the fracure (if there is one) is not displaced. An X-ray would probably be a waste of money. Just splint the finger by taping it to the adjacent finger. When you are able to move the finger, try to take it through the full range of motion and to allign and stress the materials your body is using to repair the injury. This is very important. It is definately a "use it or lose it" situation as it pertains to range of motion. Ice and antiinflammatories (advil,ibuprofin, naproxin, etc.) for pain and swelling.

Answer 3

It could be either, but a bad sprain can take longer to heal than a fracture. Best bet would be to get it checked out as if it is a fracture and you dont have it set, you're going to end up with a crooked pinkie. Either that or it has to be re-broken and set properly.

Answer 4

The only way to positively rule out a fracture is with an x-ray. The headache pain could be due to additional tension in the neck and facial muscles. It is common for these areas to experience additional tension in someone who is attempting to cope with pain from an unrelated injury. See your primary care provider and you can rule out or identify the fracture as well as obtain medical assistance for pain relief.

Answer 5

You definitely need an xray. If it is broken and not splinted in the correct way, it could be permanently bent in an unnatural way, or cause further pain from not healing in proper alignment.

Answer 6

it could be sprained. But when my son caught a football wrong and broke his finger.... I was very glad we went in for the xrays... I would say if it doesn't feel better by tomorrow, you should see a doc.