[Ged]

Picked up a bit of a strain on my ring finger after unleashing emergency crimp on a boulder back in late Jan. The usual not noticing at the time but stiff the next morning. Gave it some rest and ice then slowly started rehab I've used before for a2 sprains, finger lifts with small weights on a sling. This one is being a bit stubborn though. I think it's my a1, right at the very base of my finger, just below where it goes into my hand. Any tips on treating these? I've always had lots of success with the weighted lifts, but doesn't seem to be quite hitting the spot with this one

Cheers

Ged

[Schnell]

I had a bad a1 tear on my middle finger a few years ago. It took a while to heal I think partly because it took me some time to realise that it was different to an a2 in terms of how I could weight it. With an a2 I would take a short rest from climbing and start back climbing openhanded and progressing to crimping. With the a1 in contrast it was aggravated more easily for example on slopers which I decided was to do with the position of the pulley in the base of the hand which means its potentially more affected by changes of angle at the knuckle than at the first finger/PIP joint (no idea if this is true).

This may not be relevant if you haven't started climbing on it and no idea about the weighted exercises you describe. Good luck

[Hoseyb]

Thought it worth resurrection of this thread, as while there's loads of information out there regarding A2, A1 remains tumblweed town.
I stupidly strained my middle finger about 12 sessions in after returning to climbing following my Achilles rupture. Obviously my extreme pleasure in actually climbing again prevented caution when I found myself back at my old grade in a pretty short time.
It made a noise ( no pop) and I started the most current pulley protocol I could find, an A2 one.
All going well, returned to climbing indoors, and made a furtive trip outside for a juggy 6A+. Turns out the holds were large flatties and was painful. Balls!
All the soreness is in my palm at the base of the middle finger, no pain in the A2 region anymore.
I'm guessing the initial injury was caused by tiredness leading to a loss of form on the steep sidepull I was using, pulling the finger forward perpendicular to the palm.

Given the leaps forward in A2 management, is there any new A1 specific knowledge out there?