Sparky Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 I broke the little finger of my left hand sparring about three weeks ago, but just went to the doctor last Thursday. He has referred me to an orthopedic which I see on Wednesday. Can anyone tell me what I should expect from the orthopedic? Has anyone else broke their finger and kept training? How long did it take you to realize that the finger was actually broken and not just jammed? I also play the guitar so this has affected two of my hobbies. Rachael Kenpo - Red/Black BeltTae Kwon Do (long time ago) If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and keep trying again.
Tombstone Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 Broken fingers are just annoying. Nothing can really be done so just put a splint on and continue with your life.
BKJ1216 Posted March 23, 2003 Posted March 23, 2003 I don't know if you'll be able to continue sparring. BTW how do you tell if you broke your knuckle? Anyway back to the subject the reason I don't think you'll be able to spar is because they're most likely put it in a split wich will leave you unable to make a fist, if you don't put it in a splint then it won't heal correctly and proabbly deform. White Belt- Shudokan Karate
shotochem Posted March 24, 2003 Posted March 24, 2003 Hi Spark, There is little you can do except tape and splint it up. If your finger isnt out of joint and is properly aligned youll be ok in 2-3 weeks. Ive broken a couple of fingers and assorted toes. I was still able to train. Just do not hit solid objects with the injured hand if it is not painful just do air techniques an modify you training. After all ya still have 9 others Pain is only temporary, the memory of that pain lasts a lifetime.
KickChick Posted March 24, 2003 Posted March 24, 2003 If the finger is properly protected, you can continue to train. "Buddy taping," or taping an injured finger to the healthy one next to it. Obly if the fracture is in the second or third finger bone, you will need to splint the finger for four to six weeks to allow the fracture to heal. When you "jam" a finger, it usually becomes very swollen. One of the joints holding the finger bone may not be totally dislocated, but the bone may have snapped out of joint and then snapped back in. This injures the cartilage on the end of the bone, and around the joint, and stretches the ligaments that hold the joint together. Although swollen and very painful, the finger may appear normal on an x-ray. A jammed finger heals very slowly. The finger should be immobilized for 7 to 10 days and then buddy-taped to the finger next to it. As with any other jammed joint your finger will not return to full function. A jammed finger will always be larger than it was or larger than the joint on the opposite hand. You will lose some degree of flexibility in the finger, but not enough to cause any great difficulty in dexterity. I don't know what is worse really a jammed or a broken finger!!! ..... but many finger fractures are not serious, particularly those in the tip of the finger.
CheekyMusician Posted March 26, 2003 Posted March 26, 2003 Well a broken finger is my idea of living Hell. I really don't know how I'd cope since I play piano, guitar, flute and clarinet a lot (I also play trumpet but assuming it was a finger in my left hand I could probably still play that OK) and of course, there's my karate. I broke my toe a few years ago, though, although that was before I started karate. Broken toes and fingers tend to heal pretty quickly, but I would reckon you'd be best to steer clear of sparring for a while. You could still train, but just train in kata and your basic techniques. I'd think there's just too high a risk factor of you doing more damage to your finger during sparring, but in the end its your decision. There's a girl at my class with a broken finger and she sometimes spars with one hand (the one with the broken finger) behind her back. Smile. It makes people wonder what you've been up to.
Sparky Posted March 30, 2003 Author Posted March 30, 2003 Thanks Kickchick for the info. It's been about 6 weeks now, and I am pretty much only taping it for karate and sleeping. Still hurts, but I want to maintain as much mobility in that finger as possible. I really don't know how I'd cope since I play piano, guitar, flute and clarinet a lot (I also play trumpet but assuming it was a finger in my left hand I could probably still play that OK) and of course, there's my karate. Wow, that is a LOT of instruments CheekyMusician. I put my practice with three finger chords to work playing the guitar. I really didn't like the idea of not playing for a long time so I improvised . Fortunately, playing is easier now, but my little finger lets me know if I overdo it. Rachael Kenpo - Red/Black BeltTae Kwon Do (long time ago) If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and keep trying again.
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