Hand Aid

Continued...

Skier's Thumb

Another serious hand injury, most common in winter, is called skier's thumb. This occurs when the thumb is caught in the loop of the ski pole during a fall and is forcibly pulled away from the first finger.

This can rupture the ulnar collateral ligament, which stabilizes the thumb during any pinching motion. If you think it is no big deal, try signing your name without using your thumb.

With this injury, pain is felt along the inside of the thumb, and quite a lot of swelling appears rapidly. Ice the thumb immediately (snow is usually convenient), protect the thumb from further injury, and quickly seek care.

This is a serious injury that needs evaluation in the first day or two. X-rays may look normal if the bone isn't damaged, but the injury may require casting or surgery to repair. Any delay in treatment only makes recovery more difficult.

If you don't get a thumb or finger injury treated early, you may permanently lose range of motion. A jammed knuckle that is not allowed to heal and continues to be reinjured is guaranteed to come back and haunt you - if the damage ever goes away in the first place.

A jammed finger with a torn tendon or ligament must be treated with surgery or the correct splint in the first few days, or the finger or thumb may be permanently deformed. Some of these splints must be worn 24 hours a day for successful healing to occur. if your tendon or ligament is torn, you will not be able to fully extend or flex the finger.

The standard treatment of R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) applies to hand and finger injuries as well as any other. Use ice frequently-every two hours while awake - for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. Anti-inflammatory medication can decrease the pain.

What shoulld you do if you want to continue playing with a hurt finger?

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Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

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