Athletic or not, most of us have experienced the misfortune of a jammed finger injury – which is actually a finger sprain. Casually walking past a dining room chair, opening a car door or even gardening can be the everyday activity that puts your finger at risk.
Jammed fingers are a frequent injury for many sports – but especially for basketball when the ball hits the tip of the finger and pushes it back toward the hand. It’s not often serious but pain and swelling can affect one or more of the joints and cause discomfort.
“The knuckles, or joints, of our fingers each have ligaments that help provide stability,” explains orthopedic surgeon Jacqueline Geissler, MD. “If the fingertip takes the full impact of an object, it can sprain these ligaments. A sprained – or jammed finger can be quite painful and can be hard to move initially but usually gets better.”
These types of injuries can be very difficult to avoid because they happen so fast. Following good technique for ball handling, passing, and maintaining focus during play could minimize the risk for injury. (more…)