[Twiglett]

I’ve picked up another tweak in my RH middle finger.  It’s not a full on tweak, the best way to describe it would be that my finger feels ‘funny’. It feels sore across the back of the middle joint, especially when closing my hand into a fist. It also feels quite thick despite not being visibly swollen. I have had a few finger troubles with this finger before so I was hoping that it was just feeling a bit trashed after a heavy session however a few day’s later it still feels odd. 

I always seem to get injured after going to Climb Newcastle which is a bit of a pain seeing as it’s the local wall 

Has anyone else had such a tweak?

[Richie Crouch]

I got that from a build up of scar tissue around my rh ring knuckle and try to massage and traction it daily to keep it moving, this eases it off after around 15 minutes or so (and a couple rest days) I can usually close it ok again. When you first get this pain I would recommend a bucket with some ice cubes and cold water in it and submerge for 20-30 mins whilst massaging and stretching it. Do this for a few days twice a day.

I believe it's really hard to get rid of the scar tissue build up surrounding it unless acted upon immediately within a day or two of said injury occuring... if it is the same one I have myself 

[Jaspersharpe]

 

Sounds pretty much exactly what I've had recently. Middle finger of left hand. Started with a stiffness in the knuckle that wasn't painful but was there all the time. Got to the point where making a fist caused stiffness and pain all across the side and back of the knuckle and down the back of the first joint.

I've had nearly two weeks rest and have been doing the deep massage thing. Narrowed it down (I think) to the ligaments on the inside of the joint which is where I have been doing the massage. I still have slight stiffness  but zero pain and I'm hoping that with correct (cross) taping and continuing massage it'll keep getting better while I resume training.

When I did the ligaments in the ring finger of the same hand this was the process I used and it worked really well. Hopefully it hasn't got quite as far as Richie's injury but that may turn out to be the case with the scar tissue.

[Twiglett]

Cheers guys. So is it an injury or just an old injury been aggravated / trying to make like ‘Take That’ & attempt a comeback?

Obviously exceptionally keen to avoid time off from climbing (especially with a trip to font coming up) so should I try climbing with tape & open hand this weekend or did you find it’s a case of a total back off? I assume beastmaker-ing is out of the window for a while too…

I’m doing the ice therapy on it aswell as putting deep heat on before bed and it doesn’t feel as bad today as it did yesterday, but still not OK.

Typically happens just as the weather looks like its picking up…!

[Jaspersharpe]

Definitely a new injury. I've never injured this finger before.

Will report back after taping / training. Er....fingers crossed.

[Twiglett]

for gods sake. It doesn't feel like any other injury I've had before though. I'll have to see how it feels tomorrow but must keep training if I can!

Fingers crossed for the taping!

[mark_mcq]

Icey water definatly helps a lot. The one thing I would advise though is that if you have to tape it to climb... then just rest! From past experience, taping an injured finger will help support it, but it can also mean you can't feel if you are making it even worse. You could either rest for a full week and if it is a minor injury it will heal up nicely (do the cold water and physio described by Richie), or keep climbing with loads of tape, and make it even worse and then be out of the game for 2 months.

I picked up an injury for the first time in 5 years last week, on an easy route, middle 2 fingers in a deep sideways pocket and as I went to move my fingers jammed.. and i twisted on the middle finger. It doesnt hurt to climb on at all but feels stiff and I can see a little swelling in the joint. So i'm just gona rest for a week or as long as it takes.. Its way better than months of misery due to making it even worse.

[Twiglett]

Yeah I know it's just a reet pain in the arse  I'll see how it goes but I'm not psyched for making it worse!! cheers

[Richie Crouch]

I agree with the above comments on avoiding tape if possible. I just take a few days off till I can close and feel no pain then just build back up slowly on big grips indoors or out. Make sure you warm up over a good 30 mins at least and keep to good non tweaky holds for at least a couple of sessions and see how it reacts. As soon as I feel any swelling occuring again I usually stop as it has clearly not recovered yet.

Try not to take too long off restwise though... as it often heals a lot faster when you gently stress it with gradual sessions and continued icing and massage..etc

Hope you get over it in time to put some hours in before font! It's better to avoid any risky sh*t indoors and just have some nice sessions outdoors the week before you go (I am the idiot who always gets an injury a day or two before most trips!  )

[Twiglett]

Cheers Richie, I dont think I;ve ever been away on a trip when I'm not recovering from some injury or other. Did it Wednesday so I'll see how it feels on sunday morning but I'm not going to rush into anything and ruin this reasonable spell I was having up until 7pm on wed!!

[philo]

i have this exact same problem. however its been like this for about 4 months. i do ice and use warm heat packs on it but it doesnt really heal.  i do think its scar tissue build up now and wont go away fully.  i have had a couple of weeks off with massaging it and doing other fitness based things but it still remains.  mine hurts when i squeeze it, same finger left middle knuckle.  doesnt hurt when i climb on it tho

oh and i also climb at newcastle

[iain]

I have this too, middle joint on the little finger. Had it 5 months now. From what I could find online I think it's a pip joint strain.

Initially I rested loads (2 months with only 1 or 2 easy sessions a week), massaged, cold treated to the point where the swelling disappeared and it went back to it's normal size. Started climbing again and it swelled straight back up. Still cold treating it and massaging but it is not recovering and swelling no longer reducing between sessions. I know I'm going to have to rest again but I don't want to stop without a proper strategy for it getting better.

Anyone got any ideas or suggestions? Got pain on the back outside of the knuckle which I assume is the source of the strain and ligament damage, should I be massaging across the finger or along etc?

[Twiglett]

I know it's a reet pain in the arse. Philo - can you still climb at your usual level or do you have to go back to the massive jugs all the time? Had  4 day's off and it's much better than it was ie not hurting all the time. I'm thinking of maybe heading back climbing tomorrow night on jugs to see how it goes.

[philo]

i find climbing on jugs is the only thing that makes my finger hurt as its actually making contact on the joint?
small crimps and slopers and open handed dragged holds dont hurt at all. its a conundrum!

[Twiglett]

sounds like one of the better injuries to have! I'll head there tomorrow night to see how it goes..

[philo]

yeah take it easy. i wouldnt push through the pain. not on your fingers!

[Twiglett]

Yeah I know cheers for the advice! Fingers crossed a bit of light climbing will do the trick.

[Jaspersharpe]

I trained on Friday, taped the finger and did a lightish session (including a short board session) and if anything it's improved it. No pain and although the stiffness is still there, it's much better. I'll continue with the massage and tape the finger for the next few weeks when climbing

I know what people are saying about avoiding tape as I always used to. It's important not to use it to mask an injury that needs rest and it's also important not to become reliant on it. However, as I found out with some good advice on here a while back, it has it's place.

I've found that using tape to support the joint for the first few weeks (after rest) means the injured finger can be used without the likelihood of injuring it further. Rest is all very well but you've got to come back at some point and tape can help to ease the finger back into it. Otherwise you can rest until there's no pain and think that the injury is completely gone, jump back in with no support and crock yourself again as the finger is still weak.

Works for me anyway.

[Paul B]

Good to hear your fingers are improving!
My fingers are starting to get to that niggly phase, i.e. I haven't had a layoff for quite some time and I've been climbing quite well therefore they're going to start playing up:
Weird hand strain still there (Since the start of this year!)
LH ring finger is aching badly down the back (No idea why)
LH middle finger has a crush injury about half way down off a nasty pocket

[Twiglett]

Yeah nice one - glad to hear its made them better. Fingers crossed for me tonight then.

I haven't had a layoff for quite some time and I've been climbing quite well therefore they're going to start playing up:

Yup that's how it seems to go - I can't seem tog et a good spell of more that a few weeks!