• Reference Number: HEY-250/2021
  • Departments: Orthopaedics, Physiotherapy
  • Terminal Updated: 19 January 2021

Introduction

This leaflet has been produced to give you full general information nearly your injury.  Most of your questions should exist answered past this leaflet.  It is not intended to supersede the word between you and the healthcare squad but may act as a starting point for discussion.  If after reading information technology you lot have any concerns or require further explanation, please discuss this with a member of the healthcare team.

What is a soft tissue injury?

The term soft tissue refers to muscles, ligaments and tendons that surround and support our joints. Injuries to the soft tissue surrounding the fingers joints are commonly acquired by a forceful stretch or direct blow, for instance when playing ball sports.

What are the symptoms?

A soft tissue injury to one or more of the fingers may result in:

  • Pain.
  • Heat, redness or bruising.
  • Swelling.
  • Stiffness and loss of function.

Pain relief

To manage your pain it is brash that you regularly take simple pain relief which can be bought over the counter. If you have allergies or weather which prevent the use of pain relieving or anti-inflammatory medication please seek advice from your medico or a pharmacist.

What should I do in the get-go 72 hours subsequently the injury?

The most important initial treatment is aimed at controlling the pain and swelling by following the principles of RICE:

R – Residue

Complete balance is non advisable just it is important that you forbid putting the finger under strain in the early stages of healing. Ensure you go on to motility the other fingers and wrist as normal every bit it is mutual to quickly become strong in these joints.

I – Ice

Ice volition help reduce the hurting in your finger and and so should exist practical for 10-15 minutes. This will aid to reduce the swelling.

In that location are many different ways in which ice tin be applied however it believed crushed ice, in the course of frozen peas for example, is the nigh constructive. Whichever method you choose it is important that y'all wrap the ice in a damp towel, in order to prevent information technology from 'burning' the skin.

Please Note:
Only use an ice pack on areas that have normal skin sensation i.e. where y'all tin feel hot and common cold.
Do not apply over an open wound.
Do not apply an water ice pack to an area that has poor circulation.
When you apply ice to your skin, cheque the skin every five minutes and discontinue its employ if:

  • the surface area becomes white, blue or blotchy.
  • the area becomes excessively painful, numb or tingles.

C – Pinch

You may have been given a special compression cast to article of clothing to help control the swelling in your finger. It is important this is removed if you lot develop whatsoever signs of poor circulation such as tingling, numbness, blueness of the pare effectually the finger and increasing pain. The cast should be removed when you go to bed at dark as when you are asleep you lot cannot monitor these symptoms.

E – Pinnacle

If you accept swelling in your fingers sit on a chair and place your elbow on cushions and then that it is level or slightly college than your shoulder. In this position betoken your hand towards the ceiling then open and close your manus every bit this will assistance to reduce any swelling farther.

What not to do

Consuming alcohol, massaging the injured area and applying rut can all exist detrimental in the early stages of healing and therefore should be avoided. It is of import to notation that smoking may also filibuster the healing process.

Rehabilitation and recovery

If you follow this bones advice your injury should have around 6 weeks to heal. Nevertheless, anybody recovers from injuries at different rates and it is dependent on the severity of the injury and the presence of whatsoever other medical problems. Information technology is possible that you may exist back to normal in two weeks, however it is also possible you may suffer symptoms for up to three months.

After 72 hours it is very important yous attempt to showtime using your hand and fingers ordinarily again when doing everyday tasks similar washing, dressing and eating.

The exercises below volition help y'all to regain full function, flexibility and strength and you should attempt to practise them on each injured finger 10 times, 4 times per twenty-four hours.

You may experience more discomfort when you start the exercises. Nevertheless, this is normal and does not mean you should terminate. If your symptoms remain worse for more than two hours after the exercises then you should decrease the number of each exercise that you do and build up again slowly.

1. Agree your finger with your other hand simply below the peak joint, preventing the other joints from moving.

Now bend the top articulation of your finger down as far every bit you tin can and feel it stretching.

Concord 10 seconds and then straighten.

two. Concur your finger with the other hand just below the heart joint, preventing the bottom articulation from moving.

Curve the center joint of your finger down as far equally yous tin and feel it stretching.

Hold ten seconds so straighten.

three. Support your elbow on a table with your wrist direct and fingers pointing towards the ceiling.

Bend your fingers across the knuckles and middle joints only. Keep your fingertips directly and trying to stretch them towards your wrist.

Stretch for 10 seconds and and so straighten your fingers again.

4. Support your elbow on a table with your wrist direct and fingers pointing towards the ceiling.

Bend the top two joints of your fingers downward as far every bit you tin can into a hook grip and feel them stretching.

Hold the stretch for 10 seconds, and and so straighten.

5. Support your elbow on a tabular array with your wrist directly and fingers pointing towards the ceiling.

Curve your fingers into your palm as tightly every bit yous tin and feel them stretching. Hold the stretch 10 seconds.

Now stretch your fingers as wide as you can and feel them stretching. Concord the stretch for 10 seconds.

All photos with kind permission of ©Physiotec™

When can I render to normal activities?

If your job involves activities using your manus and fingers regularly y'all must ensure that you lot practise similar tasks and so that yous build your forcefulness and function upward gradually.

If you participate in an agile hobby then information technology is advised that you do not render to this until you have full range of movement, strength and you tin can use your hand commonly without experiencing pain or swelling.

If you play a sport involving use of your manus, practice sports specific activities like throwing and communicable to set and build this upward gradually before returning to full training sessions and competition.

Exercise I require further treatment?

You may be brash that yous require physiotherapy following this type of injury, unless your symptoms are minimal on your initial appointment. Your physiotherapy could be at a variety of locations in the Hull and Due east Riding area.

Y'all tin self-refer to physiotherapy by contacting the following number depending on the location of your doctor:

  • Hull GP patients self-refer to Healthshare: 01482 300003
  • Due east Riding GP patients cocky-refer to Eastward Riding Physiodirect: 01377 208300 or cocky-refer online at chcpmsk.org.united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland

On occasions the clinician may wish to refer you to the physiotherapy team inside the hospital trust. If this is the case they will advise yous of this and you should receive an engagement at Hull Royal or Castle Hill Hospitals within 5 to 7 days of your attendance at the Emergency Department. If y'all accept received no contact inside this time please call the physiotherapy admin team on (01482) 674880.

When to seek farther help

If ten days following your injury you are unable to utilise the paw and it remains painful and swollen, despite following the above advice, delight contact the physiotherapy team that you were advised to contact at your Emergency Care attendance.

Additionally if, subsequently doing the exercises regularly and post-obit the communication for three weeks, you notice that y'all are however unable to straighten your finger out fully delight contact the physiotherapy team that you were brash to contact at your Emergency Care attendance.

QR code to open leaflet