Jammed Finger

There is nothing worse than you not being able to participate in a sport or physical activity due to a minor injury. A jammed finger is one of the smallest yet still a very painful injury. A jam does not only occur to fingers it can also happen to your toes and various other parts of your body but not as often. A jam is when you get a finger joint pain and in most cases there is swelling. So if your wondering what exactly is a jam let me explain. It is a type of sprain that occurs to the interphalangeal (knuckles) joint of the fingers. Usually it's a consequence of a forceful object hitting the ends of your fingers and pushing towards the knuckles.

 Common sports

A jammed finger is very common in a sport where you must do ball handling. As soon as I hear the word ball handling I think of basketball because you must dribble and catch a ball. Also, if your like me you can jam it playing volleyball especially because this sport you use your fingers to set and pass a ball. About 2 months ago, I went to pass up a smash and jammed my thumb. It was the most painful injury I have ever experienced! The aching pain and the swelling bothered me so much I did not play sport for a week. Although, after that week I continued playing and re-injured it, as a result of not treating it properly it took over a month to heel.


Treatment

A JAMMED FINGER MUST BE TREATED IMMEDIATLY! The immediate treatment will help your injury heal faster. Most jams last 1 to 2 weeks and some for example my case in months. This type of injury usually does not take too long to heal unless a fracture occurs. the symptoms of a fracture are;

pain, swelling, bruising, or tenderness

trouble moving the finger

a crooked looking finger

How do I treat a jammed finger? The answer is the same simple solution to every injury which is RICE.
Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate

Rest: To immobilize and rest the affected finger to help it heal faster. That means do not play any sports using your hand.

Ice: Apply ice to your finger about 20 minutes every hour. Ice will help reduce the swelling but make sure you wrap the ice in a towel so your not placing it directly on skin.

Compression: In this case of a finger jam you don't need to have compression

Elevate: Have your finger elevated as much as possible. This will help increase the blood flow in that area to speed up the healing process.

Hopefully the jammed finger will heal as soon as possible but it will depend on how well you treat it.

 http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Jammed-Finger

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/sports-injuries/pages/Common-Finger-Injuries-in-Athletes.aspx

Muscle Cramps

Have you ever suffered from a muscle cramp? If so there are many reasons why this particular condition has occurred. A muscle cramp is a involuntary contraction which means you are doing something against your will and as a result it can cause serious pain. These cramps can limit your movement and performance or become so extreme that your not able to do any activities you enjoy doing.

Allow me to explain how a muscle cramp works: First of all, as mentioned before its a involuntary muscle that is contracting. As we move our muscle contract and relax (de contract) naturally therefore a cramp does not allow the muscle to relax. When the muscle contracts in a spasm and lasts at that stage for a long period of time this is how a cramp is created. These cramps can occur to any muscle in the body whether it's your calf, thigh, hand, forearm or even eye lid. Once in a while I get them in my thigh, and they are sleeping cramps. I believe those are the worst because they appear in your sleep after you make the slightest movement. When I get these, they prevent me from sleeping and they become aggravating. No matter how much I stretch I cant get rid of it!

The types of muscle cramps

 

There are four different types of muscle cramps such as;

1) True cramps: These are the most common cramps because they are usually caused by fatigue.

2) Tetany: These cramps occur when the body is low on vitamins

3) Dystonic Cramp: The cause of this cramp is when you do a repetitive movement

4) Contractures: Its when the muscle or tendon gets hard and causes that joint to deform.

 

Causes of muscle cramps

 

• Not enough blood circulation
• Overexertion while exercising
• Not stretching well before exercise
• Exercising in the heat
• Fatigue of your muscles
• Dehydration
• Lack of vitamins
• Malfunctioning of the nerves
• Side effect of some drugs

Treatment

A muscle cramp can be treated by STRETCHING! This is the easiest way to get rid of a cramp and there are many stretches for divers parts of the body. Also, you can try messaging the muscle or by applying heat. In serious cases some cramps can be stopped by getting injections in that muscles or tendon "ouch".

Prevention

• Stretching before and after exercise
• Drinking a lot of fluid before, during and after your activity
• Get your vitamins

If you would like to learn more and have an in-depth knowledge on muscle cramps visit these amazing websites:

http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/muscle-spasms-cramps-charley-horse

http://www.medicinenet.com/muscle_cramps/article.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPp3Ibf37xU