First Aid Bruises, Cuts & Punctures Treating a Jammed Finger By Elizabeth Quinn Elizabeth Quinn is an exercise physiologist, sports medicine writer, and fitness consultant for corporate wellness and rehabilitation clinics. Learn about our editorial process Elizabeth Quinn Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Michael Menna, DO on November 06, 2019 Michael Menna, DO, is board-certified in emergency medicine. He is an attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York and also works at an urgent care center and a telemedicine company that provides care to patients across the country. Learn about our Medical Review Board Michael Menna, DO Updated on January 03, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Ice the Jammed Finger Test the Finger for Movement and Range of Motion Tape the Finger and Rest See a Chiropractor or Osteopath Use It or Lose It You may know that a jammed finger refers to finger joint pain and swelling from an impact injury of a single or multiple fingers. Jammed fingers are extremely painful, and require immediate treatment to aid healing. What's more, if jammed fingers are not addressed immediately, they may mask further damage such as fractures or dislocations. Verywell / JR Bee Ice the Jammed Finger The first step to treating such an injury is icing the injury and elevating the affected finger. Ice the injury with an ice pack, or if using frozen vegetables, wrap them with a towel first, and then proceed to ice the injury for 15-minute intervals, removing the ice and waiting until the finger returns to a normal temperature before icing again. Be sure not to ice more than three 15-minute intervals in an hour. Test the Finger for Movement and Range of Motion If the finger doesn't move easily or the pain gets worse, see a physician and have an X-ray to determine if there is a bone fracture or dislocation that needs to be corrected. After the swelling decreases and the pain subsides, try to move the finger very slightly. If the injury is mild, you will be able to move the finger with little discomfort over a short time. Tape the Finger and Rest If you've determined that the jammed finger is a minor injury, tape the jammed finger to the finger next to it and try to rest. This is called "buddy taping." It's important to use medical grade tape and use place a piece of gauze in between the fingers to stave off blisters and moisture while you heal. You may also consider a splint should your regular doctor suggest one keep the finger aligned with the rest of your fingers and allow for protection for further injury. How to Buddy Tape a Finger See a Chiropractor or Osteopath Physical therapy exercises are helpful to get a full recovery. However, you may start by checking with a chiropractor or osteopath to be sure that healing is going as it should be. Whether it was a serious or minor injury, you may favor the finger that was previously hurt which may create more problems down the road. One of these specialists can ensure that the healing finger is maintaining a proper range of motion, movement, and circulation. They may also be able to offer next steps should there be bad news about the jammed finger. Use It or Lose It Once you've done your due diligence making sure that everything is in line with your healing finger, try to use it normally so that it returns to its strength and ability. If you don't use it, you may lose strength in the healing finger, or start to cause imbalances in your other fingers that could threaten injury. Most jammed fingers heal completely if there is no fracture or dislocation. If there is a fracture or dislocation, it can take months to heal. Pain may last months and the injured joint may be larger than those of uninjured fingers for even longer. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Carruthers KH, Skie M, Jain M. Jam injuries of the finger: diagnosis and management of injuries to the interphalangeal joints across multiple sports and levels of experience. Sports Health. 2016;8(5):469-78. doi:10.1177/1941738116658643 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Jammed finger. 2015. Won SH, Lee S, Chung CY, et al. Buddy taping: is it a safe method for treatment of finger and toe injuries?. Clin Orthop Surg. 2014;6(1):26-31. doi:10.4055/cios.2014.6.1.26