Chronic pain from a simple finger injury
The
hand is a very complicated part of the body that is a
vital part of many sports, not to mention every day
life. Despite getting little respect, and just getting a
little tape, finger injuries can be disabling to the
athlete. Therefore, do not take finger injuries lightly.
Hockey and Soccer Goalies
Most hand injuries that occur in field players happen
because the player falls onto the hand, has contact with
another player, or the hand is hit by the ball or in
hockey (slashed with the stick - two minutes in the box
for that). As far as (goal) keepers go, they sustain
two-thirds of all hand injuries (for obvious reasons).
Most of the injuries in (goal) keepers are fractures
rather than joint problems. The fracture may need to be
addressed surgically, but the associated ligament tear
can be addressed with Prolotherapy.
Rock climbing hand injuries: Solutions to a
chronic pain problem
We have seen quite a number of rock climbers who come in
with injuries not only to the hands and fingers, but
often to the shoulders and knees as well. Rock climbing
requires a tremendous amount of upper body strength, as
well as individual finger strength. Because ligament
injuries are so common with rock climbers, they
frequently develop proliferative arthritis in the finger
joints. Sprains, ruptures, and chronic attenuation of
the collateral ligaments of the finger (PIP) joint and
the thumb metacarpophalangeal joints are also common in
rock climbers. This is usually how it happens: As a
climber ascends rapidly past a pocket in the rock in
which his or her fingers are placed, a finger can become
trapped and bent, stretching the ligament awkwardly. In
order to find permanent relief from this injury, and
more importantly to prevent osteoarthritis from
developing in the future, we recommend that the climber
receive Prolotherapy treatments to treat the injured
areas.
Baseball, Softball and Finger Injuries
Jammed fingers usually occur when an athlete catches a
ball incorrectly. When a finger is jammed, the joint
capsule and collateral ligaments are injured. Typically
the joint swells and heals fully in time. Prolotherapy
may not be required for this kind if injury if the
athlete has time to allow the body to heal itself, but
if the athlete is in a lot of pain or needs to heal more
quikcly, we may perform Prolotherapy on the joint. The
most common hand injury reported by softball players is
mallet finger. This is similar to a jammed finger, but
mallet finger includes a rupture of the tendon at its
base. The tendon then breaks off a piece of the bone,
keeping the athlete from extending the finger. Usually
the finger has to be splinted for six weeks in addition
to treating it with Prolotherapy.
Prolotherapy: A highly effective
alternative hand injury treatment option.
When a Prolotherapy treatment is done on a finger
injury, I give at least four different injections per
joint; two on either side of the injured joint, but he
may often need to provide even more injections. This
gives the joint an excellent start to healing, because
it is being stimulated on both sides.
Although jammed fingers are seen as “no big deal”, and
mallet finger seems to heal with splinting, the
ligaments are still damaged. There is a permanent change
in the mechanics of your finger joint if the ligaments
are not back to how they should be. Unhealed finger
joints will eventually lead to osteoarthritis as you
age, but this can be prevented. By getting Prolotherapy,
the healing of the joints is ensured, and can prevent
awful consequences.
If you have questions about your hand or finger
injuries, feel free to contact us. We look
forward to seeing you!
