my husband fractured a finger four weeks ago but only had it xrayed last week as it wasnt too painful and the bruising had gone but the swelling was still there. The adjacent middle finger is very swollen but showed no fracture. The two fingers are now in a splint but the swelling of the middle finger and knuckle area has not reduced. He was prescribed anti-inflammatories for five days, the last day today. Should the swelling have reduced by now or should he seek further treatment. Thanks Louise

Hi Louise Big fractures are really easy to be seen on X-ray. Fractures through joints are trickier to pick up and can be fairly common. Swelling in and around small joints – like the knuckles can last for a disproportionately large amount of time. Sometimes it’s the lack of movement that keeps swelling intact and so getting the joint to move more will decrease the swelling. But, if he’s been told to keep it still then follow that advice. It maybe worth giving our hand Physio Lizzie a call on Monday to root out some more answers. https://www.sixphysio.com/services/hand-clinic The Guru Six Physio