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Did an orthopedic surgeon who does hands look at you, or just the ER staff?
When you go to therapy, (GO TO THERAPY!) make sure you see a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). Don't wait to get a referral after a month from now. GO NOW.
Either a physical therapist (PT) or an occupational therapist (OT) can be a CHT. Most of the hand therapy performed in this country is actually done by OTs rather than PTs. DO NOT allow your physician to send you to a PT unless that therapist is designated as a CHT! If you can't find a CHT in your area, see an plain-jane OT. OTs are better at hand therapy than a PT who may lack specific hand training. About 85% of teh CHTs in this country are OTs.
You need a better splint on your finger than that aluminum and foam thing. That was probably what they stuck on you in the emergency room, yes? There is a lot going on with soft tissue in the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. It is a very complicated joint. You are not going to be 100% in a month. That middle finger bone (second phalanx) may take up to 12 weeks to heal.
To find a CHT in your area, got to HTCC.org (the Hand Therapy Certification Commission) and do a search for one in your area.
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YEAH!! THAT!!
I broke my middle & third fingers Dec 2010, was expected to get back around 70-80% mobility due to the breaks...
they sent me to a local CHT...he figured 80-90% flexibility back...I said, "Screw That...I want it ALL back...do whatever it takes."
We did, and got 100% flexibility back...I also continued to do the PT on my own at home after the visits were done.
They'll ache just before a rain...but that's the extent of the problems nowadays.
Prior to the accident, I had better than average flexibility/movement as I did magic when I was a kid and did all the Houdini/Blackwell exercises
to get really flexible...also trained to be a stage dip (on-stage pocketpicker)...came in real handy for other things as well
Grab a magic tricks book and do the hand/wrist exercises after you complete PT, they'll work Wonders!!
Yes, therapy is gonna hurt...but it all depends on how determined you are in making a full recovery...
NEVER RETREAT, NEVER SURRENDER!!
and you will make a full recovery!