How to treat a jammed thumb – Dustin Pedroia

Dustin Pedroia is the fancy fielding second baseman of the Boston Red Sox. He’s had a pretty good 2012 season, but he might be sidetracked due to a jammed thumb. He jammed the thumb during a game against the Oakland A’s on a pop out to short right field. This usually wouldn’t be news, but he is still recovering from a torn muscle in his thumb earlier in the season.

He doesn’t know what is going on:

It’s pretty frustrating. I have a high pain tolerance, but I don’t know.

What is a jammed thumb

A jammed thumb is when a digit, the thumb, is forced into the joint through blunt trauma. In this case, Justin must have landed on his hand and pushed the thumb into his hand. It is as simple as that. You literally force the digit into the joint.

If the impact is too great there might a break of the digit.

How to treat a jammed thumb - Dustin Pedroia PhotoWhat are the symptoms of a jammed thumb

  1. Pain – You will feel immediate pain.
  2. Soreness – Moving the thumb will hurt and it will be sore.
  3. Inflammation – The thumb will become inflamed and hurt to the touch.
  4. Swelling – Since there is soft tissue damage it is going to swell.

How do you treat a jammed thumb

You need to ensure the thumb isn’t broken and the only reliable way to do that is with a xray. Remember, most fracture will not be clear on physical examination.

If it isn’t broken you’ll need to do the following:

  • Rest
  • Ice
  • Elevation
  • Light massage

What is the recovery time for a jammed thumb

It depends on the severity, but most jammed thumbs recover quickly. Keep in mind this is only if you rest the thumb and apply ice when necessary. You’re looking at two weeks tops for mild to mid jammed thumbs.

More severe sprains should be treated by a doctor and will need immobilization. In this case it’ll be a month before you are back.

 

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