injured finger

[what..the?]

I was digging really hard ground on Saturday with a rubbish spade and only way to dig was to just use my upper body to hack into the ground as apposed to treading on the spade with my boot. I could feel every strike with the spade go through my hands, it hurt a bit but I dug for 5-10mins till I was finished. Only till the evening at a party my middle finger started hurting at the knuckle, and by night night I struggled to sleep and rose early. I am having lots of trouble today with it. I can move it but it hurts. Neither heat or cold helps but flowing water over the hand helps with the pain. There is no swelling or redness. It hurts to touch.

Any ideas what it could be? I am also looking for a time scale in which I should see an improvement, because unless its serious and fails to fix will I seek medical help. Thanks in advance.

[firewatch]

ibruprofen and it may be you have internal bruising to the joint.

[HowardKennitby]

Can't help with your problem but if you ever need to do that again what you need is a mattock.

[what..the?]

thanks for both answers, also googled mattock thanks :)

[what..the?]

I keep thinking its improved but then when I have to use it (right hand and I'm right handed) it's really uncomfortable, I wonder if I have dislocated very briefly and it has popped back in but left me with a strain or trapped nerve or something. One of my big toes dislocates often for no reason, I have had no injury to the toe in my younger years that I remember. But I will often get a stiff ache in it which means I wiggle it and pops back in, sounds lovely ehh :D

[Sqad]

I agree with firewatch.

At least ibuprofen 600 mgms iitially...then monitor the response.

[what..the?]

thanks

[firewatch]

my knuckle hurts every so often but its due to trapping it when it was broken, only hurts a little now but ibrurofen sorts it out, hope its better soon

[what..the?]

thanks its very on and off at the mo was ok today and then tonight it's bad again