Caring approach:
Our team takes the time to understand what’s causing your finger pain and what treatment will work best for you. We’re here to listen closely, answer questions and guide you through every step with compassion.
Fingers may be a small part of your body, but they do big work. So, it can be frustrating (and painful) when you injure one — especially if you do it over and over.
We use our fingers for so many things every day, often without thinking about how important they are — until we injure one. A dislocation, when a finger slips out of its joint, is not only painful but impossible to ignore. All you can think about is relief and getting it back in place.
Cleveland Clinic’s hand experts will uncover the cause and treatment options for your finger dislocation. Together, we’ll craft a personalized treatment plan to stop it from happening again.
Our team takes the time to understand what’s causing your finger pain and what treatment will work best for you. We’re here to listen closely, answer questions and guide you through every step with compassion.
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It’s not unusual to dislocate a finger. It means your finger bones moved from their original position and aren’t lined up at the joint (where two bones meet).
Most finger dislocations are easy to treat — often without surgery — and usually heal within a month or two. But sometimes, the joint keeps slipping out of place. This can happen if the injury damages the ligaments or tendons that hold the joint together. It can also be linked to conditions like Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which weakens connective tissues.
Over time, these issues can lead to stretched, torn or unstable tissues that can’t keep the joint in place — no matter how often it’s been treated. If your finger keeps dislocating, it’s time to see experts who understand how complex and delicate the hands and fingers can be.
Your provider will want to know about what’s been going on with your finger. Is this the first dislocation or has it happened before? Have you had treatment for it in the past, and if so, what kind? They’ll also go over your medical history and take a look at your finger.
If you’ve already had an X-ray, your provider will review the images with you and talk about the results. And they may order other imaging tests like an ultrasound, MRI or CT scan to see what the dislocation — and any damage it’s caused — looks like.
You’ll have a care team of providers working together to confirm a diagnosis and build a highly personalized treatment plan for the best possible results. For a dislocated finger, you’ll see one of our orthopaedists, some of whom are board-certified hand surgeons. Your team may have other providers, like:
Our healthcare providers see patients at convenient locations throughout Northeast Ohio and Florida.
Never try to pop a dislocated finger back into place yourself — and don’t let anyone else do it unless they’re a trained healthcare provider. Leave that to the experts. Our team will gently realign your joint using a careful push-and-pull technique. This process is called relocation, manipulation or closed reduction. You may also need:
You may need to wear a finger splint or brace to keep your finger in place while it heals. This keeps your finger from moving and slipping back out of place. Your provider may also recommend taking it easy and avoiding activities that could re-injure your finger. We may also suggest over-the-counter medications to help with pain and swelling.
Our physical and occupational therapists will teach you exercises to help improve your hand and finger strength, movement and flexibility. They’ll show you ways to do everyday things while wearing your splint and recovering from treatment. You’ll also learn how to prevent further dislocations.
We typically recommend surgery only when other, less invasive treatments — like immobilization and splints — don’t work to repair damage and stop repeated dislocations. We try to use minimally invasive procedures when possible. Our orthopaedic surgery team will move your finger back into place. And they’ll repair torn or overly stretched muscles and other tissues, along with any bone damage.
It can take several weeks for you to recover fully from a thumb or finger dislocation. You’ll have regular checkups with our team after treatment, so we can track your progress as your finger heals.
Getting proper follow-up care helps you avoid future complications. Our team will make sure your fingers, thumb and hand are healed and healthy before giving you the OK to return to sports and other favorite activities.
Life moves fast, but when you have a finger dislocation, things can suddenly slow down. Especially if you keep knocking that same joint out of place. Our experienced orthopaedics team will uncover why this happens. And we’ll find the best way to put your dislocated finger back where it belongs.
Getting an appointment with Cleveland Clinic’s hand specialists, who are finger dislocation experts, is easy. We’ll help you get the care you need.
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