[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.