Each of your fingers, excluding your thumb, is made up of three small long bones called phalanges that are joined at your finger joints. Several types of breaks can occur with these bones, such as a simple break in the middle of the bone shaft to a complex break in which the bone is completely crushed into several pieces. The severity of the break determines what treatment you'll need. After the initial break has healed, physical therapy is often necessary to reduce pain and regain a full range of motion.
Squeeze a Ball
After your bone has healed, your doctor may refer you to a trained physical therapist or prescribe specific exercises to do at home. One such exercise to strengthen the muscles in your fingers is the ball squeeze. Place a soft type of ball, such as a tennis ball or stress ball, in the palm of your injured hand and slowly squeeze it. Hold the squeeze for up to 5 seconds, relax for 5 seconds. Do 10 reps, three times daily. If you feel pain in your injured finger, soften your grip or lower the number of reps.
Fist Squeezes
The fist squeeze is similar to the ball squeeze, but without the use of any tools. Simply make a fist with the hand that has the injured finger and tighten it as hard as you can without feeling pain, hold the position for up to 10 seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
Pick Up the Pieces
Learning how to use your broken finger takes practice. Even some time after the injury, the finger may remain difficult to bend. By placing small items such as paperclips, coins or a pencils on a table, you can work to regain motor skills in your injured finger. Using only your injured finger and thumb, attempt to pick up these items up off the table. While it may seem easy, grasping small items with a stiff finger that hasn't been used much recently can be challenging.
Up and Down
If the break has caused the base --- where your finger meets the palm of your hand --- to become stiff, increase muscle strength and range of motion by placing your hand flat on a table top with your fingers spread apart. Lift one finger at a time up toward the ceiling while keeping the others and your palm flat on the table. Hold each finger up for up to 5 seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
