Best way to relieve swelling?!
Question: Hi, i play soccer and yesterday during a game I was pushed down on to my finger which bent backwards pretty far. A couple of minutes later I have spotted a lump on my finger on my knuckle about a quater of an inch thick and it hurt to move that finger. I thought I broke it but I could move it so... I didnt. I realized it is just terribly swollen. I have iced and heated it. It helped but not significantly. I have school tommorrow and soccer and it hurts to write and type. I was wondering what the best way to relieve the swelling at least a little more until tommorrow? Thanks everyone in advance.
Answers: Hi, i play soccer and yesterday during a game I was pushed down on to my finger which bent backwards pretty far. A couple of minutes later I have spotted a lump on my finger on my knuckle about a quater of an inch thick and it hurt to move that finger. I thought I broke it but I could move it so... I didnt. I realized it is just terribly swollen. I have iced and heated it. It helped but not significantly. I have school tommorrow and soccer and it hurts to write and type. I was wondering what the best way to relieve the swelling at least a little more until tommorrow? Thanks everyone in advance.
You need to follow the RICE guidelines:
Rest - try not to use your finger too much in the next day or so. Gentle range of motion is fine, but don't use it to the point of pain.
Ice - Ice, Ice, Ice - Heat will not help at this point!! I cannot stress that enough! To get rid of acute swelling, you must ice! One suggestion that I give my athletes that have injured fingers is to fill a cup with ice water and submerge the finger for 15-20 minutes. It is best to ice for 15-20 minutes, and then off for 1 hour, then ice again (repeat throughout the day!)
Compression - It is pretty hard to compress a finger, but for other larger joints, you would use an ACE wrap.
Elevation - keep the finger higher than your heart. If just sitting around the house, raise your hand into the air and hold it up (like asking a question in class...)
These are the best tips I have for relieving swelling. Good luck.
If the pain and swelling persists, you probably need to see a doctor!
Holly's advice is on point but you can also take ibuprofen for pain and to reduce the swelling. Take no more than 2000 mg in one day and take no more than 600 mg at one time (3 pills). But, if you do this often, you will damage your liver. So don't make it a habit to depend on pain medications.