Articles & Posts in Category: Finger Pain

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Waking up with stiff fingers or achy joints is a common experience, especially for those recovering from hand injuries or living with conditions like arthritis. But why exactly do your joints feel stiff after a night’s rest?

Understanding Joint Stiffness

Between each of your joints lies a substance called synovial fluid. This fluid acts as a natural lubricant, allowing your joints to move smoothly and pain-free throughout the day.

However, during the night while you sleep, your body remains mostly still. This lack of movement slows down circulation and causes the synovial fluid to settle, rather than flow freely through your joints. When you wake up in the morning, it may take a bit of time and movement for everything to get going again.

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Winter is coming and so are those dreaded winter sport injuries……

Do you have pain on the inside of your thumb?

Do you have pain on the inside of your thumb? The pain could be from an injury at the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the thumb metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) joint.

What is the UCL?

The UCL is a ligament located at the inside border of the thumb metacarpal phalangeal joint. It is an integral structure for stability of the thumb, preventing excessive sideways movements, especially during pinch and grasping objects.

How is the UCL injured?

An injury may involve the ligament itself in isolation, or the ligament may pull off a bony fragment at the site of ligament attachment; this is known as a UCL avulsion injury.  The mechanism of injury can be from a traumatic event involving sudden, forceful pulling of the thumb away from the fingers, known as Skier’s thumb. Although it is less common, repeatedly stressing the UCL over a long period of time may also lead to weakening and instability, referred to as Gamekeeper’s thumb.

Ligament injuries are graded into categories dependent on severity of the ligament instability. Your hand therapist can assess the injury and recommend appropriate treatment. 

How do I treat my UCL injury?   Your hand therapist will fabricate a custom-made thermoplastic thumb orthosis to optimise ligament healing, reduce oedema and relieve pain.

When the ligament is deemed stable, your therapist will prescribe specific exercises to regain your thumb range of motion and strength to enable return to your previous level of function.  

If the UCL ligament is assessed as unstable, your hand therapist will also appropriately refer you to a hand surgeon for surgical opinion. Unstable UCL injuries may require surgical repair.  If you suspect you have an injury to your thumb, please don’t hesitate to call us.

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The proximal phalanx is one of the three bones that make up your finger. It is the first bone in your finger after your palm. Fractures of this bone are particularly common in children and we treat lots of them in the clinic.

Common causes, signs & symptoms of injury

A proximal phalanx fracture often occurs during contact sports, from a ball hitting the finger or a collision with another player. A fall or an accident, such as getting the finger caught in something, can also cause this injury.

Signs & symptoms to look out for are swelling and tenderness at the base of the finger. There may also be bruising in the area. An x-ray is required to diagnose the fracture.

Common treatments

A fracture that is non-displaced or minimally displaced can usually be treated conservatively. Your hand therapist can fabricate a custom-made thermoplastic splint to immobilise the fingers and allow for appropriate healing.

Here are some photos of a splint for a ring finger proximal phalanx fracture.

If the bone is fractured in a way that there are many pieces or the bone is displaced, this may require an appointment with a surgeon. Your hand therapist can also discuss this with you.

Exercises and recovery

Range of motion exercises are included as part of the recovery process. These are usually finger flexion and extension exercises. It is important to complete your exercises within a pain-free range. Exercises should be completed regularly throughout the day and light use of the hand can also aid in recovery.

Your hand therapist can create an exercise program that is tailored to your injury and difficulties. If you have broken your finger, please don’t hesitate to book an appointment. We’d be more than happy to help.

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HTG-Trigger-FInger

Clicking and locking of a finger or thumb is generally known as a “Trigger finger” or “Trigger thumb.” This is a common condition involving inflammation or thickening of the tendon that bends your fingers or thumb. The tendon passes through a pulley in the palm of the hand, however when the tendon is inflamed, it can catch or lock as you make a fist or grip items.  

Trigger-Finger
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Joint pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are often flared up during colder weather. Arthritis in the hand commonly occurs at the thumb carpometacarpal joint, fingertips or known as the distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) and metacarpal joint. Arthritis can also occur at the wrist. Here we take a look at different ways of managing arthritis and how a hand therapist can help. 

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Finger injuries are generally known as a ‘jarred finger.’ It commonly occurs in sports such as netball, AFL, oz tag and rugby. Quite often they are left untreated and can lead to swelling, stiffness, pain and finger deformities. Here we take a look at the most common finger injuries and how a Hand Therapist can help.

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