How do you know if your pinky is sprained or broken?!

How do you know if your pinky is sprained or broken?

I was playing football today in my phys.ed class and i caught the ball at my toe but then as i caught it i jammed my finger pretty bad on the ground.

Right now my pinky (left) is really swollen and kind of a purpleish colour and is heading towards a northeast direction. How do I know?

1 month ago
I was playing football today in my phys.ed class and i caught the ball at my toe but then as i caught it i jammed my finger pretty bad on the ground.

Right now my pinky (left) is really swollen and kind of a purpleish colour and is heading towards a northeast direction. How do I know?

P.s i only feel pain when I attempt to bend it.

The best way off course is to get an X-ray. A crude way to determine whether you have a fracture is to take a tuning fork and vibrate it on the pinky if it sends you through the roof then you know its broken. I would caution that you should probably go ahead and get it check out by a Chiropractor or a Medical doctor. They can quickly take an X-ray to rule out a fracture. If its a sprain then when you move it passively (someone else trying to move it) it would be painful at the end range of the motion. Nonetheless since its inflamed right now any motion can cause it to be painful. If you are moving it actively (yourself) and its painful but still able to move it that would be a strain or the muscle or tendon involved. Have it checkout. Good Luck.

Dr. Ali, DC