The Healing Process for a Jammed Finger

Putting a bandage on a injured finger. (Image: VictoriaShuba/iStock/Getty Images)

Initial treatment

A jammed finger sounds like an unimposing and minor injury. Many athletes, particularly those who play ball sports, such as basketball, football and volleyball, suffer jammed fingers with some regularity. This is an injury that can be extremely painful. The first thing to do to treat the finger and help its recovery is to immediately ice it. Dipping your injured finger in ice water will numb the area. However, you can't keep your hand in ice water indefinitely. After five to 10 minutes, take your hand out of the ice water and use an ice pack.

Put a Splint on the Finger

Your finger will start healing if you can keep it from moving. You can do this with an ice cream stick. Use adhesive tape to secure your finger to the ice cream stick. This will keep it from moving around. Elevate your finger as well to make sure that you get proper circulation to the injured area.

Warm Water

After keeping your finger elevated for two to six hours, put your finger in warm water for 15 to 30 minutes in order to manage the pain and improve circulation. This is the most important thing in the healing process. You have to ensure good circulation to get the finger to heal.