Finger splints are an easy and effective way to straighten and protect your finger without using messy tapes or straps. The wide smooth bands and the three points of control help stabilize and align the small joints of fingers affected by arthritis, injury and other health conditions. For elderly people suffering from problems related to the joints in the fingers, finger splints when worn different ways on the finger and on different joints can treat different problems quite effectively. The different problems in the elderly that can be treated by wearing finger splints are as follows:
- Mallet finger: The mallet finger is an extensor tendon injury at the farthest away finger joint. It results in the inability to extend the fingertip without pushing it. It can be painful and can be treated by wearing finger splints continuously for eight weeks. The band of the finger splint needs to be worn at the top of the joint closest to the fingernail.
- Trigger finger: Trigger finger is a common disorder characterized by catching, snapping or locking of the involved finger flexor tendon associated with dysfunction and pain. In order to treat trigger finger the band of the finger splint needs to be worn at the top of the base bone. It can also be worn around the middle joint to fully block bending so that the finger can recover.
- Crooked or deviated fingers: This condition normally occurs in the elderly suffering from arthritis. The oval portion of the finger splint is worn on the side of the finger with the band acting as a counter force to the correction.
- Boutonniere deformity: It is the deformed position of the fingers, in which the nearest joint to the knuckle is permanently bent towards the palm and the farthest joint is bent away. This condition is mostly seen in the elderly people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The band of the finger splint is worn on top of the middle knuckle while the oval faces the inside in order to hold the knuckle straight.