Injured finger and something strange going on

[toby123]

A little over a week ago I was playing catch with a friend and the ball hit my ring and little finger on my right hand. I had a lot of pain in my ring finger and headed to the ER. The doctor said there could be a crack in the joint above the knuckle and slightly towards the side. She splinted it and suggested follow up with the family doctor. I did see him, he took an xray and said yes it is cracked but suggested I use buddy tape and move the finger. The next day he called and said no it's not broken.

I have noticed a bump on the inside of the middle joint (facing the middle finger). If I gently touch it and wiggle my finger up and down (painful to do that) I can hear a clicking type noise in that bump area. If I make a fist the joint closest to the nail will not curl under. When I make a fist my finger will not bend down all the way to the palm, middle and  joint  closest to the nail straight(too painful).

The little and pinky finger are not injured, not painful, but I noticed when making a fist they will not bend properly although not painful at all. The little finger only bends partway. The middle finger bends but the joint closest to the nail will not bend under.

I headed back to my family doctor. He didn't know  what the the bump, clicking etc could be. I asked if he could please send me to an orthopedic or someone to have it looked at but he didn't seem keen on sending me to anyone. I live in Canada so if I want to see a specialist you need a referral.

I don't know if this bump and clicking is a tendon problem or bone? My finger otherwise doesn't look deformed. The pinky and middle finger are not painful but was wondering if one finger is injured can it affect the function of the other fingers next to it?

Anyone experienced this?  I've waited it out to see if that bump would go away but it hasn't and there is still the clicking etc.

Thanks for your input and help :)

[toby123]

I'm not having much luck..

I did go to a walk in clinic. The doctor stood about four feet away and said it's probably sprained. He didn't physically examine my hand, no xrays nothing. He said the above and walked out before I could even tell him my symptoms such as the lump, pain etc.

I did see my family doctor today and mentioned I am concerned about my finger, it's not improving, the pain, pins n' needles, lump etc etc. He pressed on the lump once and said he would send me to physiotherapy. I asked what he thought this clicking and lump was. He said possibly I tore a tendon. I asked about a referral and he didn't feel it was necessary.

I will go to physiotherapy and hope that will help it or improve things. Worse case scenario I will have to keep searching until I get a referral if things don't improve. Or should I actually be seeing someone right away and hold off on physiotherapy?

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

It is due to the nerve or tendon involvement.  It is commonly cause due to any fracture or injury. Try to get a referral near an expert.

Take a second opinion near another family doctor as this doctor is not referring or curing your problem.

Take care!

[toby123]

Sorry, forgot to add this part..

I have noticed the past two to three days I am getting pain, achiness radiating into my hand and forearm.  The pain in my hand, forearm is located directly below the ring and little finger. I also mentioned this to the family doctor at my appt today.

[toby123]

Thank you for input and help. I appreciate it :)

I guess I feel frustrated because this injury does not appear to be improving (lump, pain, movement etc) and trying to get a referral hasn't been easy.

I did go back to my family doctor today. I mentioned I was hoping this would have improved by now and it's not. I repeated my symptoms and then I asked him in a polite but firm manner that I would like to see an orthopedic and need a referral. Once again he said my finger is fine and not necessary to see someone. He didn't examine my  hand during this appointment, no xrays.

Besides my family doctor there are walk in clinics. Someone suggested going to a hospital ER since there would be orthopedics and the ER docs would see more injuries compared to a walk in clinic. I know this isn't a life threatening injury etc and would have to wait for awhile but at the same time I don't know what else to do to get a referral etc.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

Buddy taping your injured finger with the adjacent finger would only help proper healing if you would have done that immediately after injury.

Doing it intermittently would not help and if you had a fracture then:
1) Rule 1 is immobilization of the bone.
2) Rule 2 is you have to keep it undisturbed for non displaced fracture as it heals in 3-4 weeks by proper callus formation.

So diagnosing your finger injury is important for proper recovery and avoiding long term complications.
An expert is an orthopedician and if your pain and lump do not subside then you have to ask your primary physician to refer you to an orthopedician ultimately. At least take a second opinion.

It may be a finger injury, fracture, hematoma, infection, fracture callus formation, scar tissue, tumor, wart, cyst etc.

Take care!

[toby123]

Update..

I went back to my family doctor and explained, showed him my symptoms. He didn't seem to know but also did not refer me to an orthopedic. I said politely that my finger is not better, painful etc and could you please refer me to someone. He didn't want to and said finger is probably fine. In Canada you need a referral from a family doctor to see an orthopedic or any specialist. I'm not able to phone an orthopedic and make an appointment. It has to be done through another doctor.

I still have that lump that clicks. I noticed the joint closest to the nail will not curl under. I don't have a splint on but have buddy taped at times.

The only other choice I have is to go back to an ER but because I feel this isn't a big emergency I don't want to waste their time. Yet it's my health. Unless I try a walk in clinic somewhere.

[Dr Vinod]

Hello!

I would suggest you to go to an orthopedician, ask your physician to refer to you.
I want you to get the X-ray studied by a radiologist or an orthopedician for any fractures or dislocations.
If you have a fracture you need to wear a splint or tape the fractured finger with the adjacent healthy finger as this will act as a splint.
Do not unduly move your fingers till the inflammation decreases. Take anti inflammatory drugs and you would be fine with time.

Take care!