Prolonged swelling and discomfort in thumb and index finger

[Bittapain]

Hi, I injured my right thumb about four months ago. Initially there was only discomfort, however after a month or so the discomfort turned into pain. It got the the point where I sought out medical help. In the first instance I saw an OT who indicated I'd torn a ligament in the thumb and provided me with a splint. The splint exacerbated the swelling and the pain was consistent while wearing the splint. I ended up going back the the clinic where a different OT  saw and informed me the splint was moulded to the incorrect position, and reshaped it accordingly. New splint, same issues but now over two months since the injury. It again was remoulded and although it was slighlty better, the swelling and pain only was relieved once it was off. As a result I stopped wearing the splint and only used tape. I've had GP's look my hand, and I've had an ultrasound, x-ray and two MRI's. The ultrasound and xray showed signs of rupture, and the final MRI confirmed this, however by this stage it showed thickening which I'm led to believe means the tear is repairing.
The issue I'm now faced with is that four months on from the accident I am getting swelling in both my thumb and my index finger. The ends of my fingers feel slightly numb and I can feel what seems to be a hard ball like shape in the palm of my hand below my index finger.
My local GP and specialist can't tell me why my index finger is now swelling or why i've lost a degree of feeling in the tip of it.
I'm an interpreter for the deaf, so my livelihood depends on my hands. I'm really  concerned as we're a long way down the road from the initial fall and instead of getting better, it seems to be getter worse.
Any assistance would be welcomed.

[Sara_MHModerator]

Hello and welcome to the forum.  Thanks for your question.  How frustrating!  I think you need a different orthopedic doctor to evaluate this.  That it is getting worse and another unrelated finger is involved is concerning.  And injury can impact other digits or areas of the body through our compensation for the original injury.  Particularly given your career, this is essential to sort out.  Physical therapy can also help.   Is this considered a partial or whole tear?  That's important to know. Surgery can be required to treat this depending on the severity.  And again, physical therapy is very beneficial.  So, I think you need yet another round of help from a qualified orthopedic physician for your next step.  https://straightfromthedoc.com/torn-ligament-in-the-thumb/