[fry]

Recently I seem to have developed an injury to my middle finger, I'm not too sure what it is.  I've done a search but nothing quite fits.

I'm getting local pain in the underside of my middle finger in the middle pad (the intermediate phalanx I believe). I hurts when i put pressure to the bone (underside) and especially if i try to pull on edges that put pressure in this area. The pain is worse the closer to the PIP joint the pressure is applied.  What is strange is that I only really get pain by applying pressure to this area of my finger, crimping is ok as long as the edge of the hold doesn't pressure this area of my finger. 

I rested it over the last 2/3 weeks but first session back yesterday and I'm getting the same problem with no real improvement.

Has anyone else experienced this? Or have any advice on what it might be / how I can deal with it?  I wondering if it could be pulley inflammation, or bruising but I would have though that would have gone by now.

Thanks!

[slackline]

Finger Injuries, Symptoms and Management might be a useful read.

[Tombondphysio]

Hey slackline, thanks for sharing my blog post!

In response to the OP, it depends, if you get pain from only pulling on the middle finger, say in a pocket, but not when both middle and ring finger are used, then it may have been more of a lumbrical tear, especially as you have pain extending to the palm.

remembering when the pain started occuring would help, as would how it may have happened, as sometimes the symptoms of a pulley injury and lumbrical tear can be quite similar if caused by repetitive strain

Tom

[slackline]

No problem, saw the BMC tweet a link to it.

[tj]

My word, that link to de-gloving injuries really is quite something... 

[masonwoods101]

Didn't dare look at that.... Good blog though

[fry]

Great blog, thanks for posting that.

Tom, the pain is just in my middle finger but it doesn't extend down the palm so I'm not sure its a lumbrical tear.  Having rested again the pain is now very isolated and I only get it I pinch my finger just above the PIP joint, more or less in the position of the C2 cruciform pulley so my current thinking is I've managed to damage or strain these somehow.

The pain built over a couple a couple of sessions there wasn't really a single incident that I'm aware of that led to it.

 

[Tombondphysio]

That's interesting, I'm not sure what that is
Does it hurt when climbing on it now? ?Is there any specific holds etc that make it hurt?
Does it stop you climbing in any way?

On the blog note - thank you guys for your kind words, yes, I couldn't bring myself to actually put a picture on the blog post itself regarding de-gloving, it was just too much - but heed the warning - no rings when climbing!!!

[Sasquatch]

Great blog, thanks for posting that.

Tom, the pain is just in my middle finger but it doesn't extend down the palm so I'm not sure its a lumbrical tear.  Having rested again the pain is now very isolated and I only get it I pinch my finger just above the PIP joint, more or less in the position of the C2 cruciform pulley so my current thinking is I've managed to damage or strain these somehow.

The pain built over a couple a couple of sessions there wasn't really a single incident that I'm aware of that led to it.

I had the same thing about 2 years ago and it ended up being an issue of scar tissue on the ligament in the area causing inflammation on the pulley.  Weird....  Massage, Ice, and continued non-pain causing climbing and it wnet away after about 6 weeks.....  No idea if that could be it or not.  I've had a few finger injuries over the years so I've got my fair share of lingering scar tissue.

[Tombondphysio]

Sasquatch, that kind of sounds either trigger finger-like symptoms, or tendovaginitis (see the blog post)

Fry, maybe get it checked out - diagnostic ultrasound could show the possible cause