Duration of pain

The duration also depends on the cause of the pain in the middle finger. In the case of a dislocation, the middle finger should be immobilized in the splint for 2-3 weeks. A fracture can last up to 6 weeks.

In general, physiotherapy should also be performed afterwards. Early treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatism can delay the progression of the disease, but there is no complete cure. Rheumatism, gout and psoriatic arthritis can be treated individually and without relapses, which can be positively influenced by lifestyle and medication.

Associated symptoms

Accompanying symptoms of finger injuries caused by an accident can be swelling and restricted movement. A fracture or dislocation of the middle finger can lead to a malposition of the individual phalanges. In the case of psoriatic arthritis, the typical skin appearance of psoriasis usually occurs years before the joint inflammation: these are sharply defined, red patches covered by silvery scaling.

Preferably, the rash appears on the extensor sides of arms and legs and on the lower back. The arthrosis is most likely characterized by pain. If an inflammation occurs, swelling, overheating and reddening of the affected joint on the middle finger can occur.

In the case of rheumatism, general symptoms such as night sweats, slight fever or muscle pain can become noticeable. In addition to the joints, internal organs can also be affected by rheumatism. For example, if the heart is affected, it can lead to myocarditis, vasculitis or conjunctivitis if the eye is affected.

Swelling is an increased accumulation of fluid in the tissue. It often occurs after acute injuries, but also in inflammation of any kind and chronic irritation. There can be various causes behind this.

Even with minor injuries such as pulled tendons, accompanying injuries can occur in the tissue, which can lead to minor bleeding. The blood flows into the tissue and leads here to a bruise and an externally visible and painful swelling. In order to prevent the swelling, the finger must therefore be elevated, cooled and compressed after the injury.

If there is inflammation or irritation of joints or tendons, the swelling occurs more slowly. However, these are joint fluids, pus and other inflammatory secretions. Cooling of the finger also helps here to keep the swelling down.

Many pains do not exist at rest, but only occur during movement. The bending and stretching movements of the middle finger are carried out by tendons whose muscle bellies lie in the hand and forearm. The tendons can be painful after injuries, but also due to inflammation, making every movement more difficult.

Behind them can be tendon tears, pulled tendons or muscle damage after injuries, but also tendon sheath inflammations, snap fingers and chronic tendon changes without a recognizable cause. The finger joints can also cause severe pain when bending and stretching the finger. This can be caused by injuries to cartilage and bone or by many years of chronic cartilage wear.

All possible causes of pain in the middle finger when bending or stretching can be considered. Tendons belonging to muscles located in the forearm are responsible for bending and stretching the middle finger. If these tendons are inflamed or torn, pain can occur, especially when bending or stretching the finger.

The pain can also radiate into the hand or other fingers.If the finger hurts for example in the morning when stretching after waking up, it can be the so-called morning stiffness, which often occurs with rheumatism. The pain is then however rather directly in or around the joint and does not radiate. The pain then usually gets better after half an hour to an hour.

Furthermore, a joint malposition can cause pain, for example after an accident or fall, when bending or stretching the finger. In most cases, this disease is also accompanied by a restriction of movement – i.e. incomplete flexion or extension. Pain at night can be very unpleasant and can prevent the affected person from sleeping, which in turn can increase the symptoms.

There can be several causes behind this. After injuries to the finger, it is often necessary to immobilize and splint the finger. Particularly during sleep, the finger can be stressed unnoticed and thus hurt.

Inflammations of the tissue can also hurt at night due to their sensitivity to pressure. Especially nervous diseases such as polyneuropathy often become noticeable at night. At rest and due to the high position, the finger can tingle and hurt unbearably. To improve night sleep, the pain should be treated with sufficient medication.