If it were not for the fingernail, the injuries would probably heal within a few days like a common bruise and have no lasting effect or pain. However, because the fingertips are highly vascular, minor trauma, such as a crushing injury or a blow to the fingertip will cause them to easily bleed underneath the fingernail. The anatomy of the fingernail naturally seals that area below the nail and does not allow the blood to drain. The blood therefore pools in the nail bed, causing an increase in pressure and intense throbbing pain.
Immediate treatment includes ice and elevation of the limb to minimize the swelling of the injury.
The next part is not for the faint at heart. This can be done by creating a hole in the top of the fingernail itself, and allowing the blood to drain. Now this may sound like the last thing you want to do to an already painful finger, but if you get in the car and drive to an Urgent Care center, this is exactly what they would do. The following section describes two basic ways to painlessly achieve this, one by drilling a hole, and one by burning a hole. Neither way is any more painful than the other, and both are very easy to do.