Smashed fingers

They don't seem to be.

 

Topical ibuprofen can usually help with injuries such as your Clueless.

http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-guides/pages/medicineoverview.aspx?condition=pain&medicine=ibuprofen&preparation=ibuprofen 10% gel

 

That may be just the swelling from the blow causing that. If you want relief (assuming it is just swelling) then take ibuprofen and make a sling up. If I were you though I would get it x-rayed tomorrow to be on the safe side.
I've just broken the metacarpal for my index finger on my right hand. No cast thankfully, just strapped to a nylon(?) splint for a couple of weeks or so.

 

I think I've figured it out. Just been in a hot bath and my hand started really hurting again. I think its clear its just inflamed in the joints. Probably bruised a cartilage or something. It'll be fine by the time classes start up again in the new year. I don't really want to burden the NHS at this, the busiest time of year for them, unless it gets worse again. If its no better by the new year I'll go and see what they have to say.

 

Clueless don't you think you should speak to the person that leads your class, I'm sure he/she should be told about the injury you have gained and surely the blocks shouldn't be held because of this type of injury. The blocks surely should be on some sort of raised support so injuries don't occur when members are hitting them. It's not your first injury at the class and it sounds as if the person running it should be taking more (I hate this phrase) health and safety care. Yes, I realise it's a martial arts class and there are bound to be some accidents but to put you and others directly in the 'firing line' for these injuries is not on in my opinion.

I hope your hands heal well, you really should get them checked out!

 

I hear what you're saying @Sheal, but the thing is, its not just about the physical techniques, in fact the physical aspect of martial arts is really only the mechanics of it, while the mental part is more important.

Holding the breaking board while someone else kicks it as hard as he/she can serves many purposes. Perhaps the most obvious (but in my opinion not the most important) is that it teaches you not to panic. The first time you hold it, it takes a lot of mental focus to not flinch. This is important if you were in a real battle because while you're flinching, you're not properly taking in what's going on, and every fraction of a second counts. But more than that, its about trust. If you consider that the typical martial arts class is a hall full of people who are practising very powerful moves, moves that were original devised for unarmed combat in warfare, its essential that there is full trust in there. When practising breaking, the board holders have to trust implicitly that the person doing the breaking is going to hit the board square, and he/she has to trust that the board holders are not going to flinch, drop the board at the worst moment, causing them to deliver their full force edge on and really hurt themselves (and whoever happens to be in the direction the board flies off in). The board breaking accident was just an accident. This week I went to class 3 times and we did breaking on all three days. Over that time there must have been easily 200 or more breaks, and yet there was still only one very minor accident.

The benefits massively outweigh the risks. There are risks, one lad had 3 fingers broke earlier this year in a similar accident, but to be honest I've hurt myself more frequently while gardening. The benefits though are numerous. The confidence and mental focus that comes from being on either side of the board, and if its you that's doing the smash, it sounds corny but the first time I broke the board with my bare foot, it was just the board that broke, my personal boundaries of what I believed I could do were also smashed in the same instant.

 

I know where you're coming from to Clueless but you can't compare this to gardening. Any injury in the garden is down to you, which I suppose you could say is self inflicted but you are being put in this position by somebody who is supposed to take responsibility for what happens in the class..... it's not the same.

 

Not really. In the case of both my recent accidents, I volunteered to be in the situation that resulted in these minor accidents. I volunteered while knowing the risks. Remember, we're all there by choice in the first place, and while we are encouraged to do various things, there is no pressure. Our top man takes full responsibility for his class, and he takes safety very, very seriously. As do all his instructors. I've heard a few proper tellings-off happen and in a couple of cases people removed from the class for doing dangerous things. I've been told in no uncertain terms to stop immediately on two occasions so far, once when I pulled a muscle in my leg and tried to continue anyway, and another time when that was about recovered, and I was spotted doing bad kicks on that leg (instructor, who sees absolutely everything, recognised immediately that my previously injured muscle was starting to go again).

The thing is though, its like any sport or physical activity. It takes a lot of physical and mental effort to become any good at it, and in any situation where you push anything to its limits, there is a chance of mishaps, but without those risks, you can't reap the rewards.

 

But you are happy to burden them with corrective surgery next year? Give it a day or two by all means, but if it still hurts get it checked.
When I broke a metacarpal in my left hand last year they discovered that I have two other historic breaks in that hand that have healed unaligned. That was news to me but it does explain the extreme pain in that hand. So having shrugged these breaks off at some point as not worth bothering with I now need corrective surgery.

 

I doubt that will be necessary, and even if it was, I doubt they'd do it.

Its improving by the hour now. I have the full range of movement now, no pain when at rest, just mild discomfort. It still hurts a bit if I poke at it, which is a slight problem because I have a tendency (as I think everyone does) to habitually poke at injuries, but at least there's no clicking or crunching coming from it now. Its just a bit tender.

But if I'm wrong, as I was more than 20 years ago when I literally flattened a ligament in my thumb in an accident and didn't seek medical advice until a full year later, they'll likely just say I have to live with it. Now my clicky thumb is just one of my quirky characteristics.

 

I was referred to the orthopaedic centre by the doctor in A&E who spotted them. Mine will be done when the weather warms up. The damage may be permanent but if realignment helps it will be worth it.

 

No joint should "crunch" indicates break to me. With muscle damage there`s no crunch, nothing broken nothing to grind and crunch.

 

This is exactly why I suggested seeing the nurse at the doctors surgery. It wouldn't burden the NHS A&E at their busiest time, unless justified by a medical professional. The nurse would either tell you to go to A&E, or if necessary she would get an opinion from the doctor. Simples ........... you have looked after yourself, and if you have to go to A&E , then it's because you were told to go. Nobody can argue with that one
I hope it doesn't spoil your Christmas too much CL.

 

I don't know whether that's good or not