How to Treat a Jammed Finger or Toe

Video Transcript

"At some point in time all of us will experience a jammed finger or toe. Hi, I'm Captain Joe Bruni, and what we're going to discuss and talk about is how to treat the jammed finger or toe. The jammed finger or toe can be a pretty painful experience, the joint and the muscle damage causes swelling and pain. With the jammed finger or toe the first step is to apply ice immediately as quickly as possible to reduce swelling and pain. In this way we can help alleviate muscle and tissue damage. We can take some type of splinting material after the application of ice, and the application of ice or a commercial cold pack should not be longer than ten to fifteen minutes to avoid the risk of a burn injury from the cold. After the removal of the ice or cold pack, splinting material made from some type of rigid material, like this tongue depressor, or even a commercially sold or purchased type of material that can be used to splint that finger or toe can be applied. Keep in mind this type of commercial application will help to immobilize the finger or the toe and reduce the chances of striking or bumping it again causing further pain and injury. Splint by applying the splint to that digit and tape it with some type of medical tape to the digit next to it, whether it's a finger or toe. After it is splinted some type of pressure bandage or Ace wrap can be used to wrap the area. The application of ice or cold can continue over the course of several days to help reduce swelling and pain. When able, after a few days, remove the splinting material and begin to use the digit again. If pain continues to be a problem after a few days, there is a possibility that a fracture may have ensued and a trip to the emergency room for an x-ray would be in order. I'm Captain Joe Bruni, stay safe, and we'll see you next time."