Things That Happen to Fingers

A quick and easy guide on treating crushed, jammed, burnt, torn, or cut fingers with homeopathy.

Fingers are both an essential part of the human body, and one of the easiest to damage.

They can be crushed, jammed, burnt, torn, pricked, cut, frozen or have had their nails torn or ripped off. It’s said that hand and finger injuries make up a third of all trauma visits to doctors or hospital emergency departments.

Homeopathy excels at first-aid treatment so we have compiled a list of remedies to turn to for finger injuries. They relieve pain, speed healing and reduce the risk of infection.

For best results, the important thing to remember is that: homeopathic remedies are prescribed according to symptoms, not the specific problem.

Bruising and Crushing

(Think of the below remedies when fingers have been hit by a hammer, jammed in a door or caught in machinery.)

Arnica montana (Arn.)

Arnica is one of the key remedies for bleeding, bruising and soft tissue damage. It relieves pain, reduces swelling, stops bleeding, minimises the risk of infection and promotes healing. It also helps the body re-absorb bruised tissue.

Hypericum (Hyper.)

An excellent remedy for injury to nerve-rich areas such as fingertips. Also helpful for crushed fingers when the pain shoots upwards along a nerve.

Ledum palustre (Led.)

Bruising and swelling that feels cold or numb. Mottled discoloration. Pain is relieved by cold applications.

Ruta graveolens (Ruta.)

For injuries to tendons, cartilage and periosteum of bones. Stiffness and swelling with painful bruising.

Cuts / Lacerations

(Think of the below remedies when fingers have been caught in machinery, bitten by animals, or cut by sharp knives or implements.)

Arnica montana (Arn.)

Ideal for jagged cuts with a lot of tissue damage. Relieves pain, stops bleeding, minimises the risk of infection and promotes healing.

Calendula (Calend.)

Suitable for cuts and grazes where the wound is superficial rather than deep. It promotes healing and reduces the risk of infection. Calendula can be taken internally as drops or sugar pills, or applied externally in herbal form as a moist dressing.

Hypericum perforatum (Hyper.)

One of the main remedies for deep or infected cuts with pains that shoot up a nerve. Especially helpful for the pain of torn or ripped off nails.

Ledum palustre (Led.)

Cuts are swollen, cold, and mottled and the pain feels better for cold applications.

Staphysagria (Staph.)

Useful for cuts from sharp blades and knives. The wound will have a clean rather than jagged edge.

Grazes and Superficial Wounds

(Think of the following remedy when fingers have been scraped, abraded or damaged by friction.)

Calendula (Calend.)

Suitable for cuts and grazes where the wound is superficial rather than deep. It promotes healing and reduces the risk of infection. Calendula can be taken internally as drops or sugar pills, or applied externally in herbal form as a moist dressing.

Nerve Pain and Nerve Injury

(Think of the below remedies when fingers have been punctured, crushed, burnt or lacerated and have sharp, shooting pains.)

Coffea cruda (Coff.)

The patient is hypersensitive and over-reactive to the pain of any injury. Consider for the nerve pain of damaged fingers if Hypericum does not help.

Hypericum perforatum (Hyper.)

One of the main remedies for deep or infected cuts with pains that shoot up a nerve. Especially helpful for the pain of torn or ripped off nails.

Fractured Bones

(Think of the below remedies when bones in fingers have been broken by being crushing, jammed in doors, or caught in machinery)

Arnica montana (Arn.)

Arnica relieves pain, reduces swelling, stimulates healing and stabilises bleeding from fractured bones. The person will not want the affected finger touched. Arnica is mainly needed in the first 24 hours prior to Symphytum being prescribed.

Ruta graveolens (Ruta.)

For injuries to tendons, cartilage and periosteum of bones. Stiffness and swelling with bruised pains.

Symphytum officinale (Symph.)

Known as ‘knit-bone’ because of its ability to heal broken bones, Symphytum reduces pain and speeds up repair. It works best once any swelling and bleeding have been controlled by Arnica.

Burns

(Think of the below remedies when fingers have been burnt by hot pots and irons, boiling water, steam or flames.)

Calendula (Calend.)

Ideal for first and second degree burns from pots and pans or hot water. Promotes healing and reduces the risk of infection especially if the skin is blistered or broken. Take internally or apply externally in herbal form as a moist dressing.

Cantharis (Canth.)

Relieves pain and promotes healing in severe second or third degree burns. The pain of a Cantharis burn is intense, and the skin may blacken or blister.

Urtica urens (Urt-u.)

Prepared from the stinging nettle, this remedy is useful stinging pains of first-degree and second-degree burns.

Puncture Wounds

(Think of the below remedies when fingers have been punctured or pricked by plants, pins or needles, insect bites or stings, nails or machinery plants.)

Hypericum (Hyper.)

For puncture wounds with pains that shoot upwards along a nerve.

Ledum palustre (Led.)

For puncture wounds that cold, puffy, and mottled and where the pain is better for cold applications. Used historically as a treatment for tetanus, especially when muscles twitch around the wound.

Silicea (Sil.)

Useful for puncture wounds that produce stitching, splinter-like pains and wounds that are infected or starting to abscess. Helps the body expel splinters or other fragments wedged under the fingernail or embedded in the skin.

Treating Damaged Fingers

How often to take a dose of your chosen remedy depends on the intensity of the symptoms and how quickly you respond to the remedy. Initial doses may be needed as often as every 5 minutes, or as far apart as several hours. To find out more about dosing, read: How Often Should I Take a Dose of My Remedy.

When to Seek Further Treatment

Always seek the advice of a health care professional for the following:

• Severe pain or deformity
• Inability to move the finger
• Numbness or weakness
• Wounds encrusted with dirt
• Exposed bones or tendons
• Uncontrollable bleeding
• If part of the finger is obviously missing

Remember

Fingers are at greater risk of injury because of the work they do, but homeopathy can treat them much like any other body part.

The key for good treatment is finding a remedy for the symptoms, not the initial cause of the problem. A few judicious doses of the right remedy will soon have damaged fingers back on the road to recovery.