Two and a half weeks ago I injured my ring finger on my right hand . I'm able to bend my finger so that it makes a 90 degrees angle, but unable to bend it any further than that. In other words, I'm unable to to make a clenched fist. I'm not sure if my finger is broken, but it hasn't healed in two and a half weeks so I'm ruling out a jammed finger or even a sprained finger. Most likely its fractured/dislocated/broken. I've read other questions like this and it seems that the best a doctor can provide is an xray and after that a splint, which of course I can do at home.
My question is: if you've broken your finger and DIDN'T go to a doctor, and put it in a home-made splint (taping two fingers or buying one at a local pharmacy) did it heal and how long? Or, if you have broken a finger, and DID go to the doctor, did the doctor provide you with help that you could have just done at home, or was it a waste of time and money? Thanks all!!!
2007-01-03 16:01:21 · 9 answers · asked by somecallmesc00t 1 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Injuries
What going to a doctor will do for you, besides getting an x-ray and a splint is determining if there is any peripheral damage that was done by the injury - cartilage, tendon, bone fragments.
What going to a doctor afterwards, if you had not initially, is basically the same. However, since you have not gone in the first place, now you have to deal with prolonged, aggravated injury and the results of such. If your bone is broken it most likely has set incorrectly and would now have to be rebroken and reset so that full and proper function of the digit can be recovered.
My son broke his finger, we brought him to the doc for x-rays, doc put him in a splint which he did not take good care of because he thought he knew better than the doctor how his splint needed to be on - he wrapped it loose so that his fingers could move easier, which defeated the purpose of how it needed to heal. A follow-up visit x-ray showed that his finger did not heal correctly because he did not keep it as immobile as it should have been. While he has most of the use of his finger, he cannot bend it fully and now his tendon 'snaps' when he bends his finger and it causes him pain.
2007-01-03 16:11:32 · answer #1 · answered by Lucy_Fur 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the finger was fractured and it has already been 2 1/2 weeks, the bone has already begun to heal (grow back together). However, you need to stop bending it because every time you bend it, it has to start healing all over again. Get a finger splint from the drug store, or make one of your own. At this point, the only thing a doctor could do is apply a splint--and you can do that yourself.
2007-01-03 17:13:34 · answer #2 · answered by mainecoast1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yow! you may be able to splint it, but think of a chicken leg for a sec. have you ever broke the bone in half? see how the bone splinters? how could you be sure if you got the edges of the bone together to heal correctly? If you wait too long, the bone will not be able to regrow together, and your finger will become where you can not bend it as it is now.
I WOULD recommend you going asap to get it set, it may not be a fracture all across the bone, but unless you have xray vision, you will not be able to tell this. It is your hand though and your decision.
2007-01-03 16:06:23 · answer #3 · answered by debi_0712 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to wrestle and in doing such broke my fingers often. I would tape two fingers together when active. For normal living I used splints and would ice them at night. It takes a couple of weeks to heal completely. All my fingers work just fine.
2007-01-03 16:08:11 · answer #4 · answered by Eric C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I easily have had this tingling in left hand pinky and ring finger for 3 months now. I went to make certain the physician for a nerve conduction learn and he did not look to discover something different than greater soreness whilst he pressed on a factor decrease than my elbow. He pronounced he might recheck it in one 3 hundred and sixty 5 days and to not worry approximately it. i think of that i desire a 2nd opinion. Any advice?
2016-10-19 10:50:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It'll be a waste of money because all they will do is give you the same splint you could buy at a store.
2007-01-03 16:04:49 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
i think my doctor helped me a lot more with my broken finger then me just doing it by myself at home. doctors are much more experienced in these kinds of situations. but it's your choice, i dont know if you want to pay the expenses but it's worth it.
2007-01-03 16:17:09 · answer #7 · answered by bml14 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
there is not much a doctor can do for a broke finger.. usually all they do is splint it anyway.. you can do the same thing with popsicle sticks and duct tape. and its a whole lot cheaper.. remember if you cant fix it duck it .. if you cant duck it... F*** it
2007-01-03 16:04:03 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Go ahead and splint it yourself.
2007-01-03 16:10:33 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋