Have you recently injured your fingertip? It could have been during work or while you were chopping veggies up for dinner. Regardless of the cause, you may be finding yourself trying to keep anything from coming in contact with your fingertip because of the pain you’re in.
These are extremely common injuries, but the good news is that help is available to you through hand therapy at Cascade Hand & Orthopedic Rehab in Fort Myers, FL.
What is a fingertip injury?
Fingertip injuries are just that: injuries to the tips of the fingers or the thumb. They’re common injuries that might range from minor cuts to severe bone and soft tissue damage. Fingertip injuries impact the end joint of the finger, the finger pad, and the nail.
They can be a fracture (broken bone), a laceration (cut), an amputation and damage to the nail. Injuries can occur to blood vessels, nerves and tendons that lie just under the skin.
What causes a fingertip injury?
Injuries to the fingertips are common in accidents at home, work and during sports. The tips of the longer fingers tend to be injured more often because they are the last to escape from harm’s way. Injuries occur when a fingertip is closed in a car door, when removing grass from a lawnmower or when a baseball hits the tip of a finger.
What are the symptoms of a fingertip injury?
Most of the time, you’ll notice immediately when you’ve injured your fingertip because these parts of our hands come in contact with everything we touch. Fingertip injuries can cause bleeding, bruising and swelling. There may also be decreased feeling and a change to the shape of the finger. Some fingertip injuries may develop an infection. Due to nerve endings on the tip of the finger, these injuries may be painful and sensitive when touched.
What does treatment for a fingertip injury look like?
A doctor should examine an injury to the tip of a finger or thumb. Treatment depends on the type and severity of the injury. A fingertip injury, if not treated properly, can result in irreversible deformity and impairment. Some injuries necessitate surgery, while others only necessitate wound care and the use of a finger orthosis to protect the healing tip.
What can a hand therapist do for me?
A hand therapist is very important in the recovery after a fingertip injury. A therapist may make a fingertip orthosis to prevent the tip from being hit while it is healing. Additional treatment includes wound care and exercises to regain motion and improve sensation, strength and use of the finger.
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