[andy_e]

...or at least I don't think so, Yes, I've searched, but to no avail. Both my middle fingers (it was just one until last week, arse) hurt when gently squeezed at the base of the finger (on the last fleshy bit between the knuckle and the hand). It gives me no pain when I'm climbing once I've warmed up on any sort of hold (feels slightly tender when I'm warming up but not massively so). When I wake up in the morning it's very stiff (so are my fingers) and it's difficult to close my fingertips to my palm for the first few attempts. What;s going on? I haven't read any similar symptoms on these pages nor on the blog page that's frequently referred to in such times (This one). What should I be doing? Bathing in crimp oil?

[rosmat]

Andy,

Have you read the following articles? They might be useful:

http://onlineclimbingcoach.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/pulley-injuries-article.html

http://info.rockrun.com/articles/finger-injuries-and-treatment.html

Cheers

[slackline]

Andy,

Have you read the following articles? They might be useful:

http://onlineclimbingcoach.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/pulley-injuries-article.html

http://info.rockrun.com/articles/finger-injuries-and-treatment.html

Cheers

Except they're primarily about pulley injuries.

Could it be a Ganglion Cyst?

[andy_e]

Rosmat, ta, useful in eliminating straightforward pulley injuries as the cause (no pain when climbing, no noticeable instant when they went).

Slackers, I've just had a poke around and don't think there's any swelling, certainly not visually and I don't think there's any swelling or noticeable lumps internally and I don't get pain when I grip things... Good idea though!

[rosmat]

Rosmat, ta, useful in eliminating straightforward pulley injuries as the cause (no pain when climbing, no noticeable instant when they went).

Andy,

I wouldn't necessarily rule out a mild pulley strain. It is easily possible to not feel any pain when it occured or when you are climbing:

"Partial tears of isolated pulleys are much more common and heal remarkably well compared to certain other ligament injuries. You might feel a sudden twinge of pain in the affected finger (and possibly a small pop). However, it is possible not to notice the injury at all during the climb or session. There might be localised pain and tenderness over the area the next morning or the next time you climb. The most commonly injured pulley is A2, which is near the base of your finger. A1 or A5 tears almost never occur. If you have a pulley injury, and the acute inflammation is not too bad, it should still be possible to pull on holds with a fully open handed grip without pain."

And:

"The lowest level of injury is generally just spraining of the ligaments, this displays itself in the form of tenderness around the pulley area and possibly a dull ache after climbing".

From where your description of location of the tenderness - it is exactly where you would expect to feel tenderness / pain if you had an mild A2 strain.

[andy_e]

Ok, cheers. Just rest and massage then?

[webbo]

I have been struggling to workout whether I have pulley, ligament or something else on my middle finger. It hurts at the base when I squeeze it and it can be painful to massage it. However when I read most of the articles on finger injuries they all mention open handing will be less painful or the way to recovery. Mine hurts when I open hand holds but feels resonably ok when I crimp.
Any thoughts or suggestions.

[rodma]

I have been struggling to workout whether I have pulley, ligament or something else on my middle finger. It hurts at the base when I squeeze it and it can be painful to massage it. However when I read most of the articles on finger injuries they all mention open handing will be less painful or the way to recovery. Mine hurts when I open hand holds but feels resonably ok when I crimp.
Any thoughts or suggestions.

"open hand" can be a bit of amisnomer, when it comes to the middle finger, which generally will be jacked up a little way towards half-crimp, if all four fingers are on. when you crimp, you're thumb is taking some of the load. If it feels ok when your middle finger is straight (eg open-hand back three), then it prob is pulley and that also shoild steer you into the ways in which you can still hold holds.

[slackline]

Any thoughts or suggestions.

Professional diagnosis.

[webbo]

Rodma
Open handing back three is painful. Testing out on my beastmaker( not hanging just weighting it)  where I have to open hand drag everything is painful . I tried it on an old metolis board which I seemed to half crimp everything with no pain.
slackline
I would seek Professional diagnosis if I thought there was anyone in the East Riding/ North Lincs area who might know.
My previous experience with finger injuries is being told to rest and being charged a lot of money for someone to rub an ultra sound machine across it.

[rodma]

Rodma
Open handing back three is painful. Testing out on my beastmaker( not hanging just weighting it)  where I have to open hand drag everything is painful . I tried it on an old metolis board which I seemed to half crimp everything with no pain.

doesn't sound like the usual pulley tear then. I'd be over the moon if i could half crimp in comfort

[webbo]

If I could half crimp naturally I would be quite pleased. I tend to drag everything with the occasional bit of crimping.

[rosmat]

Open handing back three is painful. Testing out on my beastmaker( not hanging just weighting it)  where I have to open hand drag everything is painful . I tried it on an old metolis board which I seemed to half crimp everything with no pain.

Do you feel pain in the palm of your hand (as well as the base of the finger) when open handing?

[webbo]

No but if I put pressure on my palm just below the joint its painful. I suspect I did this latching things open handed on my new board and then fighting to stay on.
At the moment it as well as painful at the base it is stiff in the middle joint.

[rosmat]

I would recommed that you need to get a proper diagnosis from a good physio - it's risky using self diagnosis.

However, if you don't have access to the above you can do the following test (from Julian Saunders) to rule out a tendon (as opposed to pulley) strain:

1.) Pull on all four fingers individually in an open-hand and crimp position, making sure to keep all fingers roughly the same length. This should be relatively painless.

2.) Now pull on each finger separately while forcefully flexing one of the neighboring fingers into the palm. Typically the test will be positive when pulling on the ring finger and curling the little finger, as this is the most common finger to be dropped from a hold.

3.) Think about the hold you were pulling on. Which fingers were curled into your palm?

If non of the above aggravates - you can at least rule out tendon injury, and look at other possible causes.

[webbo]

If I pull on my finger with other fingers in open hand postion - pain
If I pull on it with any or all of the others curled- no pain

[Danny]

I've actually had the symptoms andi describes on a couple of occasions, once about 6 years ago and, by coincidence, right now. Both ring finger injuries on different hands.

Both times there was an audible pop in my hand, and initially it seemed like the standard a2 business. However, in both instances, if I try to open my hand rapidly I get a weird recoil style response in my injured finger, particularly in the morning or in the cold.  I think it's either the a1, or some associated webby stuff in the palm, transverse fasciculi possibly.

In any case I think you can apply the principles of a2 injury recovery well here - it worked for me the first time.
Initially resting and icing followed by a return to gentle climbing asap, dfm etc. Theraputty is very useful too.