Who would you go to see with this and when? (DD's hurt finger)

[ahagwearsapointybonnet]

DD hurt her finger a week ago catching a ball at school - it was a bit swollen and sore (not massively so) and wouldn't bend all the way, but there wasn't any particular indication of it being anything serious, and she's always getting bumps and scrapes!

However although it was getting better gradually, she's been complaining that a week later it seems to have stopped improving and is still painful, and also she still can't bend it all the way (if she makes a fist, that finger sticks up noticeably from the others), so I'm thinking maybe it should be checked out - it doesn't seem mega bad but I wouldn't want to miss it if she actually has done something more serious to it, and also want to make sure she gets the full movement back. But not sure whether to take her to the GP (not sure if they could do much or just have to refer us somewhere else anyway?) or to minor injuries or what. Any thoughts on what might be wrong, or at what point and where to take her to get it looked at please? I don't want to waste the doctor's (or our) time taking her to the wrong place or if it doesn't really need seeing yet. Thank you!

I would go and see a pharmacist with your dd, get them to take a look at it and see what they suggest. they may say to go and see your gp, or they may advise just strapping it together with the next one (which is also what the gp may advise in addition to icing the finger)

I would go to the walk in centre as she could need an x ray which gp can't do

Then if finger isn't in right place they can possibly move it

Sounds like it could be a tendon injury if she's struggling to bend just that finger. I think the GP would best to try first.

Thanks for all the responses and sorry I didn't make it back to my own thread last night!

I am passing the pharmacy later today (although without DD), so may ask them what they think then, and depending what they say can either call the GP for their opinion/to make an appointment or not.

Also I have just remembered I have a physio appointment (for me!) today, so I could also pick his brains on it while I'm there I suppose!

We had another look at it this morning, and it is no longer so noticeably swollen and I think she could move it a bit more than before (though still not quite as much as the others), so I doubt it's anything major, but she said it is still sore, so hopefully we can get it sorted.

I broke a finger and it was like that. You really should have had it checked out within a day of the injury. Over a week later and the bone could be setting wrongly, causing it to stick out from other fingers.

Have you got a walk in clinic near you. I’d do that I think. Might be broken. They can x ray it and strap it up to the next one.

Minor injuries unit would be a good place. Its takes 2 weeks for callous to set around a bone so don't worry that you've waited.

A minor injuring unit.

Apologies again for lack of updates (things got unexpectedly busy) but hopefully I can redeem myself now....

I had just decided to take DD to minor injuries when the unexpected busy stuff came along, so didn't get a chance to take her that day in the end; but suddenly the next day she was saying it felt much better, and she could bend it virtually just the same as her other fingers (barely any noticeable difference when she made a fist, and the swelling had all gone). So I think the physio was right that it had had a delayed "peak" of painfulness but then started feeling better after that. So in the end I didn't take her, as it seemed to be pretty much back to normal.

Being DD though, she did come back from school the next day saying it had got a bit more sore again because she caught another ball badly with it... but only temporarily sore, luckily! There is a reason we gave her a nickname for being accident-prone when she was younger