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Thumb Smash

ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ???

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Alberta Mike

01-13-2001 16:33:41




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Just getting my left thumbnail back to normal after a good smash last fall left it in pretty bad shape. When you do the dirty deed on your thumb, is there any sort of instantaneous fix or rememdy that salvages the thumb nail instead of waiting 4-5 months for it to come off and regrow itself? I know that you guys on TOOL TALK will know an answer or two. Thanks, MIKE.




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john d

01-15-2001 06:54:17




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
My experience has been that you're gonna lose the nail if you hit it hard!

I've never opened a hole in the nail to relieve the pressure and throbbing. My method has been to put the that hand into a container of ice water until it's completely numb, and my arm hurts more that the thumb did. By the time it warms up again, the pain in the thumb is pretty much tolerable.



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Douglas Stockman

01-14-2001 12:15:13




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
Greetigs:

Sorry to hear about your thumb. You should only use the hot paperclip trick if you have a collection of pooled blood stuck under the nail and you are sure you do not have broken bones under the nail. You can make the thumb feel much better if you let out built up blood - it basically takes the pressure off. It probably dos not speed healing much.

If you have a broken bone under the nail and you burn a hole through the nail, you have created an open fracture. This greatly increases the risk of developing an infection of the bone. An infected bone often means 1-2 weeks in the hospital for IV antibiotics. Sometimes the infected bone has to be surgically removed.

The reason it takes a damaged nail so long to heal is because the nail only grows at its base. It takes 4-7 months fo a nail to completely regrow from the base. No way to speed up mother nature.

By the way, I am a physician.

Best of luck.

Douglas Stckman, MD
Penfield, NY

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jimmyzz

01-14-2001 22:32:49




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 Re: Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Douglas Stockman, 01-14-2001 12:15:13  
I think i'll smack the next doctor that trys that. Being professional heavy equipment mechanic this is a common malady. I found one doctor that drilled my finger nail with hypodermic needle . much better treatment. i can't understand why you want to carerize something you want to bleed. if you care about your patients you might give this technique a try.



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Steve from Tn

01-14-2001 12:09:22




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
If you smash your fingernail really bad, you are going to lose it, count on it. The main thing is to relieve the throb. I had a doctor to take a razor blade and carve a pretty good hole in my thumbnail. He said if you put a little hole, the blood will often clot and cease to flow as it needs to to relieve the pain. Another really good way to let off the pressure is to take one of those tiny drills that we clean out the holes on our torch heads and very softly drill a little hole. Of course, you just twist the little bit with your fingers. Don't put it into a drill motor!! You might drill a hole through your finger! grin

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CharlieB

01-14-2001 08:27:19




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
Good advice. If you hold the hammer with both hands, you'll never smash a finger.



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JD

01-16-2001 18:27:05




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 Re: Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to CharlieB, 01-14-2001 08:27:19  
You don't need a hammer to smash a finger. I've proven this countless times.



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Greg

01-14-2001 08:59:52




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 Re: Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to CharlieB, 01-14-2001 08:27:19  
or learn to hit where you look, and don't watch your thumb. *grin*

Many years ago in hunting camp as we were setting up the tent, one of my partners was holding the stakes as I was driving them. He asked me if I hit where I looked. I answered him, "Usually."
He then replied,"Well then, don't look at me."



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Jim K

01-14-2001 07:31:33




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
I use up all my favorite cuss words as fast I can
Then I wrap the effected thumb with electrical tape
Jim K



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T_Bone

01-13-2001 20:37:50




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
Say ouch! Drill the nail, then grow a new one!

Close your eyes before you smash it next time, then it don't hurt as bad :)

T_Bone



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ltf in nc

01-13-2001 19:58:42




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
Using a very pointed blade on a pen knife, I rotate the blade until I drill through the nail into the damaged area and draw blood. There is no pain associated with the drilling. Once the blood is released the throbbing ceases



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Franz

01-13-2001 17:26:27




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
I learned from a carpenter that if you soak the smashed digit in real turpentine for 20 minutes to half an hour, the throbbing goes away, and you generally don't have to drill it.



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rollo

01-13-2001 16:59:33




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
Actually, if you heat a paper clip red hot with a lighter and bore a hole in the nail, it will relieve the pressure and dramatically reduce the pain. When I was a young Navy officer the ship's doctor showed me the trick in a bar in Rio. By the way, a bar after a few? drinks is the best place to do it. The drilling isn't much fun, but it's better than hurting with the constant throbbing. I think this procedure is what you get at HMO's today.

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Larry

01-13-2001 16:50:36




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 Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Alberta Mike, 01-13-2001 16:33:41  
I've always heard that if you took a needle, heated it, and poked thru the nail and let the blood out then the nail wouldn't come off. I did it a year or so ago, but it wasn't a really bad smash, so I don't really know if it works or not. My best advice---don't think about missing when you're hitting something with a hammer--if I ever think about it, seems like I'll miss for sure!!



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Fred OH

01-15-2001 05:52:33




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 Re: Re: Thumb Smash - ANY MEDICAL ADVICE OR QUICK-FIX ??? in reply to Larry, 01-13-2001 16:50:36  
Sounds to me like a good excuse to buy a new Dremel tool outfit. Just in case you hit your thumb, you can take a small high speed cutter and carve a small opening to relieve pressure. My sympathy for you if that helps. L8R----Fred OH
PS You might try soaking it in cider, they say that also helps.



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