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Hurt ma finger


nat

19-Jul-2010
10:01:02 AM

So, I did something to my ring finger whilst climbing a few months ago, kept climbing on it and it is getting progressively worse. Hurts to pull down on this finger now and have had to tape it constantly. Will it get better if i dont use it (may I point out it is extremely hard to stop climbing cold turkey)
Tried to ignore it.. that didnt work. Took 2 weeks off climbing (sort of..), still sore. How long do you rest finger injuries for? Is there anything active I can do?

bones

19-Jul-2010
10:05:50 AM

I'mno expert, but you need to rest it for two months minimum. It has to fully heal or it'll plague your climbing forever.


nmonteith

19-Jul-2010
10:19:13 AM

The amount of healing time depends on how old you are! :-)

For a decent finger injury you would need to think in months not weeks. Of course you can keep climbing on it - but stick to easy and un-fingery things like handcracks, chimneys and offwidths. Finger injurys i've had have been sore for 6+ months before healing. Ignoring the pain isn't a good method of healing!

Mr Stu

19-Jul-2010
10:48:26 AM

Heres some useful science:

http://ukbouldering.com/wiki/index.php/Pulley_Injuries_:_The_Science

cseisun

19-Jul-2010
11:20:52 AM

done the same.

3 - 4 months off...psyio orders for tendon repair. tape does sweet F A


Eduardo Slabofvic

19-Jul-2010
11:50:01 AM

On 19/07/2010 Mr Stu wrote:
>Heres some useful science:
>
>http://ukbouldering.com/wiki/index.php/Pulley_Injuries_:_The_Science

does anyone know what the "A" refers to in that article? It says A2 blah blah blah a few times.

gfdonc

19-Jul-2010
11:57:16 AM

Pullies are numbered A1, A2, A3. I forget which order - either from the knuckles outward or the fingertips/first joint inward. Someone will be along soon to clarify...

hargs

19-Jul-2010
12:12:04 PM

At 45, my pulley injury took 6 months to fix itself.


ajfclark

19-Jul-2010
12:31:00 PM

On 19/07/2010 gfdonc wrote:
>Someone will be along soon to clarify...

Done:

If you want a slightly gorier set of pictures, here's a dissection: http://www.turntillburn.ch/cms/ttb/index.php?id=93&L=1

davepalethorpe

19-Jul-2010
12:34:30 PM

On 19/07/2010 gfdonc wrote:
>Pullies are numbered A1, A2, A3. I forget which order - either from the
>knuckles outward or the fingertips/first joint inward. Someone will be
>along soon to clarify...
>

Number order from palm outwards (i.e. A1 is proximal, and A5 is distal). I think the "A" stands for annular (latin for ring, which is essentially what the pulleys are). A2 is the most common pulley to injure through climbing.

davepalethorpe

19-Jul-2010
12:35:59 PM

On 19/07/2010 ajfclark wrote:
>On 19/07/2010 gfdonc wrote:
>>Someone will be along soon to clarify...
>
>Done:

ahh...got beaten to it! Would help if there was some more info on the initial injury...there are other things that can be injured apart from pulleys. Also where exactly is it sore??


ajfclark

19-Jul-2010
12:42:15 PM

On 19/07/2010 davepalethorpe wrote:
>I think the "A" stands for annular

Yes, and C is cruciate.

On 19/07/2010 davepalethorpe wrote:
>Also where exactly is it sore??

Well, since you asked, my left middle finger is sore slightly below the PIP joint somewhat off to the side of the finger towards the ring finger. Looking at the pic I posted, about where the A2 and C1 meet.


nmonteith

19-Jul-2010
12:52:34 PM

The last finger injury I got was from using a ring-bolt as a mono and trying to crank it down at my waist (trying to get up a hard multipitch before it got dark!). I bruised the entire A2 pully which took forever to heal. Weird injury caused from my own climbing incompetence i guess.


Eduardo Slabofvic

19-Jul-2010
1:49:24 PM

Maybe my injury was to the C one because it hurt more on the knuckle. It sounded like a stick snapping, and instantly painful, swelling up to twice its size in about a minute or so. 6 months to heal with heaps of rehab.

Get a rubber band and put it around the outside of your fingers, then open out your hand against the resistance of the rubber band. Add more/tighter rubber bands as it improves.

There used to be this stuff called "Power Putty". I used to squeeze on this stuff, as it offered a little bit of resistance, but not that much. This was later in the recovery process, as I couldn't bend the finger for a few weeks.

hargs

19-Jul-2010
1:51:02 PM

@davidn: same -- index finger, left hand, A4


nat

19-Jul-2010
2:00:43 PM

well from all the info (and gooey photos) it is definately my A2 on my ring finger, pretty sore right there...
mmmmm I like Neil's idea of climbing cracks/ offwidths/ chimneys. Maybe easy stuff is the go...


ajfclark

19-Jul-2010
2:07:17 PM

@davidn and hargs: From what I've read, injuries to the a4 pulleys are quite rare. I've had pain in that area, but it's usually the DIP joint itself getting sore from crimping too much rather than the pulley getting sore.

Hugh

19-Jul-2010
2:17:32 PM

seen a doc or physio yet?

hargs

19-Jul-2010
2:17:40 PM

You could be right, afjclark: my injury was never properly diagnosed. I heard the distinct pop -- crimping -- and the resulting symptoms matched up so I assumed that's what it was. Looking at that diagram though, I suspect it was more C2 than A4.


freesolo

20-Jul-2010
5:08:26 AM

one of the other climbers said it: climb cracks. i really ripped my tendon one day on a 23/24 sport climb. became a solid crack climber for the next 5 years and now, since i haven't stressed my fingers out too much, they are much stronger. also, chimneys and offwidths build more cardio fitness than crimps and pockets. also, slab climbing will significantly improve your footwork and mental toughness, albiet, i now have arthritis in one of my big toes.

for injuries to my ankles/feet in a previous life, i would soak the foot in a bucket of ice water for 15 minutes, then hot water for 10, and go back and forth a couple times. don't 'burn' your skin with either too absurdly cold or hot, just get the blood flowing in and out.

don't stretch the tendon until all the pain and inflammation has gone away, ie, you can open salsa jars without pain, and then stretch very, very gently.

climbing too soon, or depending on tape will just set back your recovery. as always, good fresh nutrituous food makes a difference too.

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