Your fingers are susceptible to all sorts of injuries when you play sports. In sports such as football, basketball, and soccer, it's often possible to suffer a broken finger or dislocated finger. There are other injuries that you can face, including some that you may not know by name. Jersey finger is a relatively common type of finger injury for athletes, even if it doesn't have a widely known name. This tendon injury gets its name because of how it often occurs — as a result of an athlete's finger getting caught in the jersey of an opponent. The medical professionals at a local sports injury clinic can treat your jersey finger in various ways. Here are some warning signs of this finger injury.

Inability To Bend

One of the quickest ways that you might notice something is wrong with your finger after sustaining this type of injury is that you're unable to bend the finger. The separation of the finger's tendon from the bone will prevent bending, which can result in the affected finger failing to move in the same way as its peers. For example, if you attempt to make a fist, the finger that has this injury will largely remain straight or be able to bend only slightly.

Pain

It's common to experience a high level of pain when you have a jersey finger injury. You'll often notice sharp pain as the injury occurs, which is indicative of a tear to the tendon. Because the tendon is torn, the pain will continue well after you exit the game. The exact location of the pain can vary based on the tear of the tendon, but it's common to have pain close to the base of the finger. For many people, the presence of pain is a warning sign of an injury that requires the attention of a sports injury medical professional.

Swelling

The trauma to the tendon in your finger also causes a significant amount of swelling around the finger. While icing the injury immediately after it takes place may help to reduce the swelling to some degree, you'll commonly find that some level of swelling remains in the days that follow the injury. The swelling can further cause you to experience an inability to move the finger, especially when the swelling is severe. You might notice redness in the swollen area and the skin may have a stretched, shiny appearance. If you have symptoms of jersey finger, set an appointment at a local sports injury clinic. 

For more information about a sports injury, contact a local professional.