[Paul B]

It seems avoiding injury is completely beyond me. Even thinking about vaguely trying hard results in one of my fingers protesting.

I'm currently in a reasonably familiar scenario, an A2 (RH middle finger, I can't remember if I've damaged this A2 previously; probably) is tender after my indoor bouldering session yesterday. It's not acute, more of a 'bruised' feeling and I'm left wondering it it's a real issue, scar tissue or just bruised somehow (awkward holds)?

In the past I've had similar and continued climbing only for it to get worse. However, if I now apply my past logic, I'd take some time off, then start returning to climbing gently probably resulting in coming back in a while fairly fit but weak as a kitten. I'd rather not do this if possible.

My worst finger injuries (with the gift of hindsight applied) have blindingly obvious reasons such as a spike in volume or intensity of training (the school re-opening), de-hydration (day after the works party!), little to no warm-up (due to being late / rushed for whatever reason). I think I'm getting used to identifying when these things occur and thus it's been a while since I had a niggle; I don't have a cause in mind for this issue, perhaps cumulative effects, which is difficult to predict.

Many people I know (Barros for instance) seem to be able to 'manage' their injuries and continue climbing / training to a reasonably unaffected level, but how's that done? Rather than apply the denial / structural taping / Vitamin I methods, I'd be interested in how the good people of UKB would proceed with the above?

Apologies for yet another finger injury thread.

[Three Nine]

First, try not to avoid the typical Bennett negativity when looking at what people suggest! 

For pullies, I can usually deadhang open no problem. Combine that shit with some bar work. I have often found hanging open on the bottom rung BM monos kind of therapeutic for pulley tweaks as it feels like it stretches them out.

I can usually also climb on good two and three finger pockets openhanded. Just try problems exclusively on this type of hold, you can warm up safely on a fingerboard for this. Ideally these would be nice bleaustone pockets on a board. You own a board, so order some.

[Three Nine]

I think this is about what Barros does when he's being sensible.

I've not been able to crimp fully with my LH for about a year due to DIP joint collateral, but its amazing what you can manage to climb on pain free if you're really strict about prehensions.

[Paul B]

You own a board, so order some.

Not quite, I own some resin (+wood), destined for a board.

I've not been able to crimp fully with my LH for about a year due to DIP joint collateral, but its amazing what you can manage to climb on pain free if you're really strict about prehensions.

How are you doing sport routes, no crimping (that would screw up my 2017 plans)?

I niggled something on the RH poor crimp at the start of the Thumb this year (the thing was wet and I was holding it oddly); taping and denial (and it being my pinky) meant that one has sorted itself out.

[Three Nine]

I did a load of very crimpy sport by only half-crimping with one hand, but because it was DIP joint that was ok. It got really sore at a few points, so I had to be very careful about going over the line.

I'd have thought that a month of open handing isn't going to mean no crimping in 2017 no?

[Three Nine]

Plus sometimes you need to modify objectives - one reason Barrows chose Era Vella to project, at least initially, was (IIRC) that much of the training would be open grip?

[Paul B]

Plus sometimes you need to modify objectives - one reason Barrows chose Era Vella to project, at least initially, was (IIRC) that much of the training would be open grip?

Hardly an easy thing to do in the UK, but yes I take your point.

[Ru]

Generally, if it hurts, don't do it. Back off or change what you go till that is achieved. Generally pain after a session is ok, you just don't want it to hurt whilst you are doing something (I also find a bit of pain warming up is also ok, but it should go once warm). I'm not a doctor take advice at own risk disclaimer.

 

[T_B]

With age comes wisdom apparently.

I'd lay off bouldering for a couple of weeks and would focus on controlled deadhanging (mainly open, but half crimp if it feels OK). See how it goes.

Last time I did a pulley I had strained it (i.e. weakended it) a few weeks beforehand. I did the deadhanging thing to get it better slowly, without loosing too much strength in the other digits.

Or, perhaps like Andy Brown, you are arguably too strong for your tendons and you need to take up an aerobic endurance sport!

[Three Nine]

Plus sometimes you need to modify objectives - one reason Barrows chose Era Vella to project, at least initially, was (IIRC) that much of the training would be open grip?

Hardly an easy thing to do in the UK, but yes I take your point.

Pretty much everything in the UK has a few crimps for each hand, but not everything has a crux which involves boning the shit out of something small with both hands.

[Nike Air]

Could it be compression from a jug or something?

Alternating an ice cube and hot brew on said tweek has helped me in the past. Take plenty of collagen .
Doing the eccentric hair bobble/ elastic band  exercise has probably been the single most helpful thing I've found , can sometimes improve things in a matter of days if it only a minor pain. You'd probably need to see it demonstrated .

[Paul B]

It absolutely could I'm just ware I often have thought this only to watch things decline slowly.

You'd probably need to see it demonstrated .

Instagram? You can do PMs now too.

[Nike Air]

Dropbox?
Pm your email

[Luke Owens]

I've had a similar woe, a month ago I noticed I'd strained my middle finger A2's on both hands at the same time. Mine was due to lack of sleep/rest and overtraining crimping on boards.

In MacLeods book it said something a long the lines of him having ~20 pulley injures in a matter of years from crimping all the time.

I instantly stopped the boards and switched to fingerboarding open handed and half crimping on bigger edges once fully warmed up. Also I have very little power so I've been campusing about on jugs and trying sloper problems because I'm rubbish at this.

Use the time to work on weaknesses? Your goals for 2017 must require more than just crimping like hell?

I've found that the A2's ache while warming up then seem fine during a session. If you start getting pain (not just aching) then stop.

I haven't been doing the cold water treatment stuff (because I'm lazy) but the elastic band around the fingers and thumb and spreading the fingers out as Nike Air suggested is good.

Anything that gets the blood to the area is going to help with healing so carry on climbing as much as possible, which should help break down scar tissue too.

[abarro81]

Fingerboarding, core and bar work are your friend. I've lost multiple sport seasons to being unable to crimp, ithe lack of variety is one thing that really sucks about living in the UK. If you treat it well hopefully it'll be fine in a week or two, if you treat it badly or its worse than you think then prepare for a summer of finding specific boulders you can try and hanging off pockets.

Also, until you have your board maybe ask the depot if you can smash your pockets on their board? That's basically what me n mark did at the foundry

[Paul B]

Dropbox?
Pm your email

Thanks, so essentially these looked like eccentric finger curls with care taken to ensure the load is only applied during the eccentric motion. In your experience can you tell the difference between a minor niggle and a jug-crush? I was chatting to someone else earlier and we were discussing how tricky it is to determine fresh/bruising/scar tissue.

Use the time to work on weaknesses? Your goals for 2017 must require more than just crimping like hell?

It's mildly ironic but I'd say crimping is now one of my main weaknesses; in the past it was probably my main strength but given a general increase in weight with age that's changed. I've avoided it (crimping) for a number of years now due to injuries and I definitely felt like crimp strength was lacking on certain routes this year. From Spring onwards I'll be looking at Yorkshire Limestone and certainly at the Big K I'll be needing to crimp relatively hard.

There are of course other things (did anyone say flexibility?), AnCap needs some attention (and relates well to UK stuff) but I've done this in the past on a campus board (I'd think naturally falling into half-crimp) and that seems like a dangerous prospect; a sensible alternative would be welcomed (Barros?).

Ideally/basically I was currently trying to work on top end aero, ancap and general strength (inc. blocks of FBing; yet to commence). Strength work was including steep boards and exercises such as walk downs.

Fingerboarding, core and bar work are your friend. I've lost multiple sport seasons to being unable to crimp, ithe lack of variety is one thing that really sucks about living in the UK. If you treat it well hopefully it'll be fine in a week or two, if you treat it badly or its worse than you think then prepare for a summer of finding specific boulders you can try and hanging off pockets.

Thanks Barros; 3-9 (or 1D) thinks any time I tell him I don't have access to something it's an excuse. Any thoughts on replacement exercises for the above that should be 'safe'?

Also, until you have your board maybe ask the depot if you can smash your pockets on their board? That's basically what me n mark did at the foundry

It'll be built fairly soon I think my pockets might be at/on PeeWee's board anyway/for the interim.

[Nike Air]

Thanks, so essentially these looked like eccentric finger curls with care taken to ensure the load is only applied during the eccentric motion. In your experience can you tell the difference between a minor niggle and a jug-crush? I was chatting to someone else earlier and we were discussing how tricky it is to determine fresh/bruising/scar tissue.
........

Yes and can be done  in a none linear way if the pain is well off to one side.
They are so simple but were one of the game changers for me injury wise.

If when you  open your second can of Skol it still hurts I'd been wary of it being major.
But seriously with a bit of easy climbing, proding and poking you can get a sense of it, just don't deny a major tear.

[tomtom]

When I restarted my climbing career about 10 years back I had a 2-3 A2/3 strains/pops. I then pretty much only open handed things for 4-5 years. Only in the last few years have I started working on my crimp (with some trepidation) mainly due to Peak lime requiring the crimp... I have grown to re-love the hold but tend to keep it in reserve and prefer to open and stuff (Shark will know this from getting me to crimp the rh starting hold on Blind Date..). Maybe learn to love the slipper and the scrittle for a few months (natural rather than that quarried grit)..?

I also find it's easy to get a2/3 paranoia and after a particularly crimpy line session they often ache - almost twinge - and that so far has gone in a day or two and I've put that down to normal 'working them hard'. Not sure if that helps but that's my finger injury pearl of wisdom :-/

[Three Nine]

Also, until you have your board maybe ask the depot if you can smash your pockets on their board? That's basically what me n mark did at the foundry

Mark and I ffs.

[Doylo]

Are you 10 stone now Bennett? 

[Oldmanmatt]

When I started back after the shoulder thing, in 2015; I went straight into the old 7s on 3s off for one minute, repeater things I'd always done. I ended up with a bad tendonitis (right Brachioradialis) and out again for months. I only do pull-ups (3x3's) and Frenchies now on the FB mostly bottom row (BM2000) and no problems (even weighted to +18kg).
Anyone else found this?


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Luke Owens]

AnCap needs some attention (and relates well to UK stuff) but I've done this in the past on a campus board (I'd think naturally falling into half-crimp) and that seems like a dangerous prospect; a sensible alternative would be welcomed (Barros?).

Do AnCap on a circuit board, much more fun! Can stay open handed too...

[cha1n]

Haven't had time to read all the replies so apologise if some of this is repeated but as someone who's been almost constantly injured since starting climbing around 7 years ago (usually pulley injuries), it unfortunately is a case of crimping too much or too little. When I first started I was crimping everything (including slopers) and I now crimp hardly anything. Unfortunately both of these situations seem to result in me getting injured.

The first scenario is a case of obvious overuse and the second is a case of expecting pulleys and joints to put up with the stresses of crimping when they've not had any training to do so. I believe that there is a happy medium to be found but I've not managed it yet. It probably involves finger boards and/or careful management of the quantity and intensity of sessions, all of which seem like a lot of faff.

Maybe we should quit climbing and take up crossfit? They seem to have similar physiques...

[ducko]

I've had finger niggles for about 80% of my climbing life, I find progressive loading helps speed up recovery so Id use the fingerboard half crimp with feet on the floor then take more weight until it feels uncomfy not painful then progressively keep upping the load it's worked for me recently.
Climb on holds that don't cause pain (obvious) I also rate the hedgehog finger masturbating rings for before and after I usual hate that sort of thing but I rate them.

I spent three months at one point doing careful weighted hangs until I could half crimp the beast maker crimp with 56kg weight, two months back into bouldering I tweaked a finger again so if you're anything like me I suspect a life of moaning about tweaky digits is ahead despite how much effort you put into bomb proofing your fingers
Maybe shorten your sessions too I found this also helps.

[tomtom]

When I started back after the shoulder thing, in 2015; I went straight into the old 7s on 3s off for one minute, repeater things I'd always done. I ended up with a bad tendonitis (right Brachioradialis) and out again for months. I only do pull-ups (3x3's) and Frenchies now on the FB mostly bottom row (BM2000) and no problems (even weighted to +18kg).
Anyone else found this?


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

Complete opposite (but elbows not shoulders..). I'm pretty careful about my deadhang form though.

[Paul B]

Are you 10 stone now Bennett? 

I accidentally weighed myself before Christmas (persuading the dog to get on some scales) at around 10 stone, yes. Newman changed my profile pic at the wall to Dobbin's chin booth rendition!

Do AnCap on a circuit board, much more fun! Can stay open handed too...

I'll have a look at the Depot circuit boards for this; my first impression is it may be tricky. They're great for aero-work but as you increased difficulty unsurprisingly the hold size decreases, also, it's quite often that the 'colour' of the circuit dictates the type of hold. Finding something 12-15 moves long with acceptable RH holds may be a challenge!
My home board will make this easier.

I spent three months at one point doing careful weighted hangs until I could half crimp the beast maker crimp with 56kg weight, two months back into bouldering I tweaked a finger again so if you're anything like me I suspect a life of moaning about tweaky digits is ahead despite how much effort you put into bomb proofing your fingers
Maybe shorten your sessions too I found this also helps.

Noooo! To be fair, I've been fairly finger injury free for the past couple of years.

[36chambers]

Do AnCap on a circuit board, much more fun! Can stay open handed too...

I'll have a look at the Depot circuit boards for this; my first impression is it may be tricky. They're great for aero-work but as you increased difficulty unsurprisingly the hold size decreases, also, it's quite often that the 'colour' of the circuit dictates the type of hold. Finding something 12-15 moves long with acceptable RH holds may be a challenge!

Make up your own circuit accordingly then . I normally do my AnCap sessions on caves/roofs and usually have to add extensions to make up the number of moves. I also try to set something similar to my outdoor projects.

[Paul B]

Make up your own circuit accordingly then .

Yellows/Reds for RH, Purples/Oranges for LH? 

[Luke Owens]

I'll have a look at the Depot circuit boards for this; my first impression is it may be tricky. They're great for aero-work but as you increased difficulty unsurprisingly the hold size decreases,

I had this problem when I realised all my circuits were crimp fests so I used bigger holds but did bigger moves instead, you could even throw in a few campus moves. As long as you're getting powered out towards the end of your set.

Once you're closer to trying your projects (and hopefully further away from your injury) you could make them more specific.

[Luke Owens]

I spent three months at one point doing careful weighted hangs until I could half crimp the beast maker crimp with 56kg weight

How often were you doing your hangs Ducko? Were your fingerboard sessions short?

Cheers

[Paul B]

I'm wary of whinging here (get lost 3-9!) the Depot (Manchester edition) hasn't quite settled in with respect to training (the 30 board especially) and the shear size of the wall comes with a few (minor issues), hold density being one; making up your own problems is quite tricky in that respect (and brushing holds is another side effect; no brush sticks allowed). I'll have a look what's possible on the circuit boards in terms of AnCap but thinking from memory it'll be flawed. With that said, they're really good at improving things and I expect that over time the boards will bed in and reflect the Leeds offerings more closely.

What this does highlight is just how awesome a well set small board can be (I'm thinking Foundry furnace board) and just how useful my home board should be.

[James Malloch]

I'm wary of whinging here (get lost 3-9!) the Depot (Manchester edition) hasn't quite settled in with respect to training (the 30 board especially) and the shear size of the wall comes with a few (minor issues), hold density being one; making up your own problems is quite tricky in that respect (and brushing holds is another side effect; no brush sticks allowed). I'll have a look what's possible on the circuit boards in terms of AnCap but thinking from memory it'll be flawed. With that said, they're really good at improving things and I expect that over time the boards will bed in and reflect the Leeds offerings more closely.

What this does highlight is just how awesome a well set small board can be (I'm thinking Foundry furnace board) and just how useful my home board should be.

No brushes on sticks? What's the rationale for that?!

I can see what you mean about hold density etc there though - I noticed that it's so spaced out from my one visit over Christmas. I did find the purple (7b+?) circuit nice for my RH finger injury as it had lots of slopers/pinches that could be dragged. But as you say the harder ones resort to crimps. I guess it depends on the level you want but I'd imagine it wouldn't be ideal for an-cap.

[cheque]

No brushes on sticks? What's the rationale for that?!

Health and safety told the Notts Depot that they couldn't have them in case they were left lying on the mats and climbers fell on them. I assume this is the case in Manchester too.

[James Malloch]

No brushes on sticks? What's the rationale for that?!

Health and safety told the Notts Depot that they couldn't have them in case they were left lying on the mats and climbers fell on them. I assume this is the case in Manchester too.

Ah okay - thought I'd seen them in Leeds Depot. Though unlike Manchester the board is in a separate room from the main wall so perhaps it has different rules.

Or I could have mis-remembered this.

[cheque]

The impression I was given (when I mentioned that other walls have them) is that it's dependent on who does your health and safety inspection.

[moose]

No brushes on sticks? What's the rationale for that?!

Health and safety told the Notts Depot that they couldn't have them in case they were left lying on the mats and climbers fell on them. I assume this is the case in Manchester too.

Ah okay - thought I'd seen them in Leeds Depot. Though unlike Manchester the board is in a separate room from the main wall so perhaps it has different rules.
Or I could have mis-remembered this.

The Leeds Depot has a brush-on-a-stick in the separate training room but it is forbidden to take it into the main climbing area.

[standard]

comment removed - point already made above

[duncan]

Back to painful fingers for a moment, what's missing so far is consideration of how long a go the injury happened. Perhaps it's obvious but a recent injury should be handled with care. Avoid provoking pain: do less or do something different. Lots of good advice on this above.

Generally pain after a session is ok, you just don't want it to hurt whilst you are doing something (I also find a bit of pain warming up is also ok, but it should go once warm).

I'd qualify this slightly by saying that in a sub-acute injury (a few days to a few weeks after injury) pain the evening after a session is unlikely to be a concern. If it's sore all through the next day you've probably over-done it slightly in my view. In a very recent (few days old) injury definitely err on the cautious side.

Long-term (very roughly >3 months) pain can be abused more happily: persistent tendon injuries seem to require stressing into pain to promote healing for example. Long-term pain is less likely to be an accurate representation of tissue damage and more likely a ghost of the old injury, a softwear rather than hardwear problem.

Everyone is different though and you have to try to learn what pain means to you, these ideas can only ever be suggestions. I find the hardest time to judge what to do is when you re-injure an old problem and the pain doesn't go away after a day or two. Treat like a persistent problem, treat like a new problem, or somewhere in-between? I'm still learning about myself on that one.

[ducko]

I spent three months at one point doing careful weighted hangs until I could half crimp the beast maker crimp with 56kg weight

How often were you doing your hangs Ducko? Were your fingerboard sessions short?

Cheers

Started off doing 3x per week (warm up, 3 Max hangs @ 10sec 2 min rest between hangs)
After 6 weeks I did it 4x per week and re evaluated my max ability everytime my sets felt easy.
Started on 20ish kg and always maintain half crimp.
I felt mega strong on my hangs but not as strong when climbing as I expected, I went from 20kg to 56kg which is quiet a big jump but my finger strength when climbing wasn't quiet as noticeable!

[Paul B]

Generally pain after a session is ok, you just don't want it to hurt whilst you are doing something (I also find a bit of pain warming up is also ok, but it should go once warm).

I'd qualify this slightly by saying that in a sub-acute injury (a few days to a few weeks after injury) pain the evening after a session is unlikely to be a concern. If it's sore all through the next day you've probably over-done it slightly in my view. In a very recent (few days old) injury definitely err on the cautious side.

It's interesting this as Ru's suggestion is what I'd generally end up regarding as a downward spiral.  How are you (both) defining 'pain' in the above instances; pain from carrying a shopping bag? pain from sticking your finger nail in it to see if hurts? etc. Obviously provoking the injury repeatedly isn't good.

With respect to brush-sticks, mainly it's not an issue as there's usually an easy problem nearby (and there's also a good turnover of problems)but in certain cases there isn't (comp wall, BM board, certain problems); I do wonder if the H&S RA took into consideration the increased likelihood of someone doing a me from the top of the wall due to the absence of brushes! 

[B0405413]

I think the Manchester depot allows you to bring your own stick brush in, as long as it's not left on the mat. That's what one of the members of staff told me anyway. Seems fair.

[galpinos]

Paul, if the H&S Inspectors new you would be using the Depot, I doubt it would have been allowed to open.

What's your issue with the 30? (not been down for ages due to working away and now, pneumonia)

[Paul B]

Paul, if the H&S Inspectors new you would be using the Depot, I doubt it would have been allowed to open.

Quite! I had a special moment in opening week that scared the hell out of both me and Tom!

What's your issue with the 30? (not been down for ages due to working away and now, pneumonia)

Basically hold choice, it goes from very positive to positively poor very quickly. The Leeds 30 is much much better IMO (Malc training holds, +30 pockets crimps and pinches etc.).

I've chatted with Ste and Tom about this and think it may get a few additions / tweaks; I've not been to a wall as open to change / comments as the Depot so if any of this seems typically negative of me it's not meant to be, I think it's the best new bouldering wall I've been to...

I think the Manchester depot allows you to bring your own stick brush in, as long as it's not left on the mat. That's what one of the members of staff told me anyway. Seems fair.

Good knowledge, I'll ask next time I'm in.

[abarro81]

An cap can be done on the fingerboard, as a starter Anderson hangs are pretty an cap esque... Basically get hanging and doing core!

[Paul B]

It's interesting this as Ru's suggestion is what I'd generally end up regarding as a downward spiral.  How are you (both) defining 'pain' in the above instances; pain from carrying a shopping bag? pain from sticking your finger nail in it to see if hurts? etc. Obviously provoking the injury repeatedly isn't good.

I'd still be interested in thoughts on the above.

Thanks all for the input. I had a session last night (no crimping, steady progression through the grades stopping at middling) and had no pain climbing (a massive jug pressed on it and that was as sore as it got). When finishing the session there was some soreness (if you went 'looking' for it) but not much (I quickly popped some Vit I mind you). This morning I'm being good and leaving it alone but I haven't noticed it. As said before, I'm more interested in understanding working around this or future issues rather than a 'my finger hurts fix it quicker please' thread.

[Luke Owens]

I'm more interested in understanding working around this or future issues rather than a 'my finger hurts fix it quicker please' thread.

Same here, mine feel pretty much alright after a month of not crimping.

Going forward though I'm in the same boat as I don't just want it to happen all over again. One the things I've wondering about, which I think has been discussed before is endurance based on grip type.

For example since buggering my A2's I've done any AeroCap/Pow and AnCap open handed, does anyone know if this is detrimental to crimp endurance?

Fighting to latch a crimp on an AnCap circuit sounds like asking for a tweak...

[nick63]

Ok first ever post and probably the worst subject to chose. Pain is weird (if you want to know more I recommend looking a Lorimer Mosley Youtube videos).  Pain bares no relationship to tissue injury. Pain is not an input to the brain it is an output.  The brain simply asks the question 'how much danger is there really?'. Now previous injury will therefore, because of memory and thoughts (hippocampus, PFC, ACC, RVM), and enhanced emotional responses (limbic, nucleus abducens, amygdala, insular cortex etc) increase the likelihood that placing the hand/finger in a similar position to that that caused the original injury illicit a pain response in the absence of any injury. This is the brain being over protective, getting the 'how much danger' question wrong. This is along the lines of viewing a picture of a nasty fracture causes a reaction or a smell evoking a memory.

The simplest, but not completely reliable test is does the pain 'go straight away or within seconds' if it's yes then it's probably ok. Since we are talking short term or relatively short term 'pain' injury problems then the healing with good management should be within a normal time scale (whatever that is?) 6-8 weeks? Long term 'pain' is a very different matter since this involves neural signal changes, both peripheral and central, decreased cortical representation on brain cortex plus a whole cascade of maladaptive autoimmune and hormonal responses.

In answer, I think to your question Luke, it won't affect crimp endurance but I would have thought affect force generation at the chosen prehension?   

[duncan]

It's interesting this as Ru's suggestion is what I'd generally end up regarding as a downward spiral.  How are you (both) defining 'pain' in the above instances; pain from carrying a shopping bag? pain from sticking your finger nail in it to see if hurts? etc. Obviously provoking the injury repeatedly isn't good.

I mean pain when doing something. Particularly climbing or something like climbing. Prodding the area to see if it's still tender is not so helpful, in my view.

[Schnell]

It's interesting this as Ru's suggestion is what I'd generally end up regarding as a downward spiral.  How are you (both) defining 'pain' in the above instances; pain from carrying a shopping bag? pain from sticking your finger nail in it to see if hurts? etc. Obviously provoking the injury repeatedly isn't good.

I mean pain when doing something. Particularly climbing or something like climbing. Prodding the area to see if it's still tender is not so helpful, in my view.

Thanks for answering, was hoping someone would pick up on this.

That's surprising. Except for right at the time of injury I've pretty much always used prodding as a way of judging how my recovery is going, but this is something I'm never sure about. I mean if I have no pain when climbing but the finger is tender to touch when I poke it, does that mean I'm not even injured at all? Obviously it's very difficult to judge yourself how hard I'm poking it, am I applying the same pressure as yesterday/the day before etc. As well as the fact that if you poke anything hard enough it's likely to be pretty uncomfortable.

The physio I've seen about finger injuries has used prodding as a way of diagnosing a problem, but this wouldn't be immediately after climbing on it so a bit different.

[36chambers]

I've always used prodding to decided whether I've overdone it or not. I've two tweaky fingers, from injuries 18 months (A2) and 4 months (A4) ago, which don't give me any aggro when I climb but they can feel much more tender when I prod them if I've pushed them too much.

Furthermore, I've noticed that increase pain in my A2 normally coincides with slight inflation in my PIP joint. 

[Paul B]

Thanks for answering, was hoping someone would pick up on this.

That's surprising. Except for right at the time of injury I've pretty much always used prodding as a way of judging how my recovery is going...

+1, thanks Duncan.

Schnell that's what I've done for years. This one, as of yet, hasn't given me pain when climbing (apart from a sharp jug biting into it). I taped the other night and the pressure of the tape when climbing was aggravating it so perhaps I should stop taping and just get on with it 

[PipeSmoke]

Yeah I have found that sometimes taping overly tight has made it worse, however if get the tightness right I have been able to climb freely. Important to stop taping after a while as (for me anyway) it made index and ring finger begin to ache, I assume from taking extra weight.

[catbreath]

I've only been climbing ~4 years so take this with a grain of salt but I had similar issues with A2's almost permanently feeling 'bruised' when prodded after climbing but never being a problem during climbing (unless something reeeally crushed them against the bone). A week or three's rest would sort them out but the problem would come back really quick. I never bothered taping, but pre/post climb finger/wrist stretches that were meant to loosen my forearms sorted the pulley pain out permanently after four or so sessions, though!

Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between DOMS type pain vs 'ok but dont push it' vs 'holy crap dont do that' so I tend to avoid crimps and open hand these days instead (which has its own problems).