[mrjonathanr]

Hi, was pulling on some tweaky holds at the end of a long session yesterday and suddenly left ring finger DIP joint hurt so I stoppped immediately.

Today the DIP joint is fine, but the pad at the base of the finger (ie first phalange) is quite sore, although absolutely no pain around PIP joint.

With gentle pressure applied the front (ie palm side) of the pad, particularly lower down near metacarpal, hurts a fair bit. Sides not so sore.

Have I injured A2? Any recommendations? I've searched the site but still unsure so any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jon

[GCW]

Slack---line will be along shortly. 

Usual advice at present, see how it settles or not.  If you felt something go and it's sore in that area it may well be pulley related, possibly a partial since it took a bit to come on.

[mrjonathanr]

Why -is he an expert on pulley injuries?
BTW can you tell me how to use the 'search' function?  Thanks.

Thanks for the reply GCW. The trauma wasn't slow, it was sudden, but the pain in that location has been slow to develop so I take heart from that.

My main question is about location ie pad rather than at joint, that would be pulley vs volar ligament, right?

Anyways, it hurts, but I guess it could be worse as I can make a fist and go about daily tasks with care so its not a massive rupture - nor especially swollen.

Ice, two weeks off and then climbing on jugs if pain-free - does that sound about right?

Thanks.

[lagerstarfish]

If it only hurts with pressure on the front, pad it with tape (not tight) and keep climbing - with a tendency towards smooth volume rather than snatchy hardcore.

If it hurts when you hang smooth wooden holds that don't put direct pressue on the sore bit; climb on holds that are even more comfy and put less weight through your fingers. Taping, in this case, will only make you climb in a tape dependant way.

Is there a little lump where it hurts?

If not, there will be if you stop climbing altogether.

If there is, massage it with the thumb of your other hand (or somebody else's hand) as often as is socially acceptable.


I'm not a doctor, but I have had a lot of finger injuries that sound like yours.

*edit*

just read your post above

pad pain = pulley, usually    like you said

but you can still use edges (open) as long as you don't over do it

*EDIT 2*

why am I telling you what to do?

I seem to be on auto-response mode.

[mrjonathanr]

Merci Monsieur Étoile-de-mer-à-la bière.

That sounds like encouragement to climb in a therapeutic manner as a means of avoiding scar tissue development. Like the sound of that: also there's no lump discernible so presumably no massive scar tissue either.

Paypal or plastic?

[lagerstarfish]

Paypal or plastic?

Latex will be fine; I have no allergies

[lagerstarfish]

On a more serious note,

can you hang edges without the bad bit hurting?

If so, then you can get a feel for how hard you can pull the next few weeks.

Recalibrate after 3 weeks and climb accordingly


Oh yeah,

avoid pockets and incut edges

[mrjonathanr]

I'm going to leave it well alone for a few days but then I'll see what does/doesn't hurt as you recommend. BTW why avoid pockets? I'd think them fine and dandy for pulleys (with the exception of that one at the end of Powerband grrhh..you know the one).

I'm quite prepared to be chilled out about making progress, maybe do weights for a while, campussing on huge rungs etc - as I'm just about recovered from the last 12 months of injury  (AC joint, icy pavement at Xmas) so pretty much anything will be moving forwards..

Thanks for the advice.

[GCW]

Volar plate injuries are more of a forced extension injury, and you'd likely have joint swelling.

Have a look here.

The search function searches within the part of the forum you are in, so to search everything you need to be sure you are in the forum tab and not within a topic.

[mrjonathanr]

 Will do.
Looking like straightforward A2 pulley then. Thanks for the help - I'm guessing you'd roughly concur with our echinodermic friend then?

[GCW]

No, he'd concur with me   

[mrjonathanr]

Always good to get a second opinion!

Cheers Guys.

Jon

[lagerstarfish]

BTW why avoid pockets?

They are harder to let go of when you feel that you have reached your max safe pull force. Also, the extra friction on the sides of the finger can make it hard to tell just how hard you are pulling on the finger compared to your calibration pulls/hangs on a safe, comfortable edge.

Plus, pockets are for gay bummers.

[mrjonathanr]

I knew you'd bring the French into it somehow.

[fatdoc]

Rest it jon..


It's early in the training season.

[mrjonathanr]

Thanks, I am doing.  Think I might get away with this (ie might be more sprain than rupture) since it's still sore after 10 days, but a load better nevertheless. Think I'll be doing weights and that ARC thingy till Xmas.
I wouldn't mind, but after buggering my AC joint falling on an icy pavement last December, I had only just resumed climbing normally in November 

How's your climbing going Jon?

Rich Simpson's been struck off a few Xmas card lists on UKC btw:http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?n=436004&v=1

[fatdoc]

When not also nursing my much strained A2s I boulder a bit... Train for 4 months of the year.. Get motivated, go to Font.. Struggle up the occasional 7, come home.. Get depressed and get back on my downhill bike.. It then gets took hot to push up a hill.. Move on to bodyboarding for a couple of months.. Try to get to the alps for chairlift Mtb... Flounder on a road bike for fitness...

Then repeat annually.

Still sneak out for soloing sessions at burbage near year round mind

[ShortRound]

I've found the Dave Macleod finger in a bucket of cold water trick very useful for finger injuries. Have a look on his Online Climbing Coach blog for the advice and video. I'd provide a link but can't access blogs at work.

[philo]

Naturally, I am the worst offender of the A2 injury.  about 3 years ago? since i did mine, slight tweak that pulses and throbs on the joint of the A2, tried cold bathing, heat and cold, deep heat, resting it for months, massaging it, stretching - over these 3 months, yet as soon as i get off the motherfucker of a megacrimp I can still feel it.  Advice i would give is to take a couple of weeks off and imply the cold/hot contrast baths.  mix with stretching/ get the blood circulation to it as soon as you can. 

I have a similar injury from surfing, shoulder fucked from a massive wipeout and putting my arm on my board, only to be wiped out again from another wave dislodging my arm over my head (in the wrong direction) and leading to a sore shoulder.  This was a couple of months ago and it still hurts, when I do full movements like taking a throw in at football - this really hurts.

[mrjonathanr]

Shortround: yep, I've got just got a freezer tonight so I can get that cool bath to just the right temperature - quite tricky that bit (told my missus it was for freezingfood for the baby-seemed to believe me fortunately).

Philo, do you know you're supposed to kick the ball in football ?? That might help your shoulder a bit, eh?

Nike Air put me on to this site : http://climbinginjuries.com/page/fingers, quite informative.

It seems to be settling well so I may have been lucky this time, but ice, light climbing and loads of tape so I remember I've got a dodgy pulley seem the way forward. Thanks for all the advice - feel free to add more input.