How long for finger dislocation to heal

But not just any exercises, very specific exercises which are safe to do post dislocation, usually whilst wearing your custom-made splint.

Secondly, keep wearing your splint and complying with the prescribed treatment. This is an important time for the injured structures in your finger to keep healing. If you wish to play sport, you will need to strap the finger to the neighbouring finger to protect it from re-injury. All being well your finger should be pretty much back to normal by this time. Some swelling and the odd twinge of pain may linger. Hand Therapy - Helping you get back to what you love!

Embed from Getty Images. But it also protects it from dislocating again. Buddy tape can be left in place for up to 6 weeks. Hand exercises may be prescribed at your follow-up visit. These can help speed healing and maintain function. In most cases you will regain full function of your finger. But it may take 12 to 18 months before all mild pain and swelling goes away and full function returns.

Keep your hand elevated to reduce pain and swelling. When sitting or lying down, raise your arm above the level of your heart. You can do this by placing your arm on a pillow that rests on your chest. Or your arm can be on a pillow at your side. This is most important during the first 48 hours after injury. Put an ice pack on the injured area for no more than 15 to 20 minutes every 3 to 6 hours. Do this for the first 24 to 48 hours. You can make an ice pack by wrapping a plastic bag of ice cubes in a thin towel.

After that, keep using ice as needed to ease pain and swelling. If you have a removable splint, you may take it off to bathe and then put it back on unless instructed not to.

If you have a permanent splint, cover your entire hand with 2 plastic bags. What can I do after it happens? Immediately after the injury occurs, do not try to move the finger back into place.

Further movement may damage the surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. Apply an ice pack to the area and elevate the hand to control swelling. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications will also help reduce swelling and give pain relief. See a doctor as soon as possible. How is it diagnosed? Your doctor will examine your finger and discuss the history of the injury with you. X-rays will be needed to identify the dislocation and rule out broken bones.

How is it treated? Typically, your doctor can reposition the bones using a hands-on technique. Please note: Our Online Booking tool is currently down, please contact us on to arrange your appointment and we will honour any online booking discount.

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