Is My Finger Broken?

By Johnny Barthel, OT, CHT

How Do I Know if my Finger is Broken?

Here is the quick answer to How do I know if my Finger is Broken?

What happened? 

How do I know if my finger is broken? The mechanism of injury or MOI is very telling if you broke your finger. Some injuries are known for breaking a tendon or ligament and not a bone. Pain hours after an injury is a good indicator that there might be a break or sprain.

How do I know if my Finger is Broken? Can you move the finger?

Many people will answer yes; however, the question really should be, “can you move it like you could before the injury.”  You may still be able to move a finger that is broke. If you can not move or straighten it without extreme pain, you need to have a doctor look at it.

Is it crooked or sticking out in the wrong direction?

Or was it,  and someone popped it back in place?  This could be a dislocation, meaning out of joint. A dislocation sometimes has a fracture too. You may have swelling and bruising as well. If your finger is bent or crooked, you need to have a doctor examine it.

Are You Experiencing a Bruise or Swelling?

Even a “sprain” can bruise and swell; however, with broken bones you will experience a deep dark purple-blue-black color.  If swelling stays in the finger or area for several days, it will not hurt to have a doctor examine it.

Should You Visit the ER?

If you are not bleeding, yes, you can wait a day or two and see if “Mother Nature” helps it heal. However, if it is pointing in the wrong direction or looks wrong, get an x-ray and see your doctor. Sometimes fractures in the hand and wrist are so small that they do not show up on an x-ray immediately, and the ER tells you it is not broken. However, if pain and lack of motion persist, you should have a doctor examine it.

To make an appointment with JOI Rehab for Hand Therapy, please call 904-858-7045.

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JOI and JOI Rehab

JOI Physicians continue to offer online new patient appointments. This is another option to make it more convenient to make new patient appointments with less phone hold times. Follow the link below to select your JOI MD and schedule online.

You can still call 904-JOI-2000 to make new patient JOI Physician Appointments if that is your preference.

To make appointments with JOI Rehab, please call 904-858-7045.