There are many common volleyball injuries and one of them is ending up with jammed fingers. They happen when fingers are jammed because of falling on the outstretched hand or when a player collides with another player. Spiking, setting or simply hitting the ball will also lead to jammed fingers.
Jams occur as finger joint capsules or ligaments are being forced outside normal motion range. Having jammed fingers will damper a player’s ability to play volleyball. However, the good news is that treatment is usually really simple. You can actually get it done at home. Stakers offers some tips you can use to recover faster by simply following the tips below.
- Stop playing volleyball as the jammed fingers appear. You need to actually take a break from absolutely all sports, all until the affected area is pain-free.
- Make sure that you go to a doctor. When faced with excruciating pain, you cannot move fingers or the fingers can be deformed. No matter the case, you have to visit the emergency room or go to the closest medical clinic. Having such symptoms can indicate fractures that require proper medical attention.
- Ice should be applied to jammed fingers. You can use an ice bag or cold packs to directly apply to fingers. Take ice and wrap it in a towel. Never place ice directly on skin. Fingers should be iced for around 20 minutes in one session. Perform around 3 such placements every single day.
- Over-the-counter medication can help in the event you need to deal with intolerable pain. Options like ibuprofen or aspirin will help reduce inflammation and pain.
- Use athletic tape to secure fingers as they are healing. The jammed fingers have to be held together with the joint. Tapeis really good for that. Be sure to apply an extra tape piece in a circular motion above joints so extra protection is offered. When only one finger is jammed, tape it to a healthy finger.
- The next step is strengthening the jammed fingers. Stress or rubber balls can help you do that. Place balls in your palm and then squeeze with all fingers. Do this as tight as you can and hold the position for around 5 seconds. Repeat this move for 10 times, around 3 times daily.
- As you strengthen fingers you also have to increase motion range. Do this slowly by taking affected fingers through a full motion range. Straighten one finger and bend it at every single joint. Repeat for all jammed fingers. Every position needs to be held for around 5 seconds.
Final Considerations
Whenever suffering from jammed fingers you have to rest. Do not perform finger exercises up to the point when pain is experienced. If painis felt, you have to stop. Also, never take aspirin in the event you are on blood-thinning drugs, if you have ulcers or if gastrointestinal distress is something you have to deal with. Always talk with a doctor so you are monitoring what you go through and your jammed fingers will heal fast.
