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Finger
Injuries
How many times have we seen an athlete on TV with a dislocated finger, run to
the sidelines, have it set back into place, and then have it taped and
splintered.
The player goes back out on the playing field with the splinted hand.
Any athlete who has sustained an injury with a force significant enough to cause
a
fracture
or joint dislocation knows that some of the joint ligaments are most
assuredly injured or torn. These structures are often the culprits for the
athlete who has residual pain in the
fingers
or whatever joint was fractured,
since ligaments have a much poorer blood supply than the bones.
degenerative arthritis
forms in the knuckles with aging because of the
collateral ligament injuries sustained in the fingers when the athletes jammed
or dislocated their fingers. The athlete usually knows this is present by the
pain felt with every cold front or temperature change.
Getting Prolotherapy to the collateral ligaments after they are injured can help
prevent future degenerative arthritis. Because the fingers and hands are often
treated lightly or seem less important, make sure these areas are completely
treated and followed by a
Prolotherapy doctor
until the injuries are fully healed.
Absence of pain is not the only indication of healing.
Does the finger or joint have any clicking, weakness, or
numbness? These are
signs of continued weakness in the
soft tissues.
Does the athlete experience pain or
swelling
with weather changes? Can a
positive jump sign be elicited? We use a dolorimeter at Caring Medical to test
the treated ligaments and tendons to measure progress. A healthy ligament and
tendon
can typically tolerate at least four pounds of pressure before it
experiences pain. When a treated ligament or tendon can tolerate that amount of
force, which is equal to or greater than the uninjured side, and all other signs
and symptoms of joint/ligament weakness
are gone.
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