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Weird finger split that won't heal! (Read 3302 times)

GazM

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Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 07:01:44 pm
Weird affliction diagnosis needed!

About 6 months ago I noticed a wee cut on the inside of the DIP joint of my right index finger. I think it was caused by the wear and tear of slapping 1 joint sized holds on my board a bit too much. I assumed it would heal if I took it easy for a bit but in hindsight I dont think I took it easy enough (I know, I know). Over time holding things with an open grip has become really quite sore, especially slapping slopers, and a callus has built up around the cut, and the hole where the original cut was has never gone awayI Its tiny to look at, maybe 3mm x 3mm, but sore enough to stop me climbing.

I spent months on my board climbing around it, taping the joint, moisturising, just crimping with that hand and removing the worst offending holds on my board, but it doesnt seem to be getting any better. I've now decided to totally stop all climbing and climbing training to see if that has an affect, but after 2 weeks it doesnt seem any different and is still sore when I squeeze the callus.

My mother-in-law, a retired GP, hypothesized that there might be something in it, maybe a splinter from a wooden hold. Initially I didn't think this was likely and that it was probably the case that I wasnt giving it a chance to heal by still climbing, but after 2 weeks rest and no change I'm wondering if she might be right.

So, anyone else had a wee cut that's callused and still not healed after 6 months? If there is a splinter under that callus is it possible to get some kind of scan to find out? After 6 months, am I just going to have to wait longer than 2 weeks to expect any change?

Any thoughts or advice gratefully recieved!

Not climbing is shit, obviously, but having an on-going niggly thing like this is worse!

lagerstarfish

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#1 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 07:45:19 pm
I've had similar on the crease of the inside of finger joints

sand the hardest bits off the callus once and use heel balm every night (the 25% urea stuff) to soften it and get it to grow properly

heel balm cures everything - I'm surprised that Trump hasn't been promoting urea vape pens as a cure for Covid 19

SA Chris

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#2 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 07:48:04 pm
I'd have a long soak in a bath until the skin goes super soft, than get a very bright light, a sterile needle tweezers and a scalpel blade and have a good old poke about, i bet you find a tiny slither of wood or something.

I had similar in my foot, something painful under a callous but could see anything at all, but after a long soak and a good old poke about with a needle, nail clippers and a pair of sharp tweezers i found a tiny shard of metal in there (don't go in the garage barefoot after you've been drilling out brackets is the take home here). Could be the smallest piece of wood, glass metal or anything.

GazM

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#3 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 07:59:18 pm
Ok, thanks both, food for thought.

Chris, it appears you forgot the gallon of whisky I'd need before doing that to myself!

tomtom

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#4 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 08:24:27 pm
I once had the tip of a (dead) sea urchin spine get stuck in my palm. It irritated and tweaked for a good couple of months. In the end I went in there with a pair of nail clippers and the tweezers from a swiss army knife and dug the fucker out.

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#5 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 08:56:54 pm
I've had similar on the crease of the inside of finger joints

sand the hardest bits off the callus once and use heel balm every night (the 25% urea stuff) to soften it and get it to grow properly

heel balm cures everything - I'm surprised that Trump hasn't been promoting urea vape pens as a cure for Covid 19

I had problems with finger crease split earlier in the year and picked up the heel balm hint from here and it worked a treat.  These sort of splits have caused me real issues previously and this did seem to be a bit of a game changer - obviously may not work if you have got something stuck in there.

haydn jones

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#6 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 03, 2020, 10:51:16 pm
I've had this before where the skin has healed over the cut but there's still a cut underneath the skin and I've thought I had a tendon injury cos it felt sore on perfectly fine looking skin. The fix for me was to sand the skin on the callous/split until its literally bleeding and then let it heal back flat

MischaHY

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#7 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 10:03:41 am
+1 for Haydn's method. It can have something to with the way skin heals and forms certain structures which effectively keep it open/easily reopened. Sand it down until you can't tolerate the pain any more, then paste it with some kind of balm. Rinse and repeat - after a while you'll end up with smooth skin and no sign of the split.

tomtom

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#8 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 11:00:32 am
For fans of the heel balm - on open splits I pop a blob on a plaster and stick over the split overnight. Stops it drying out overnight. Can be remarkably effective...

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#9 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 11:12:19 am
Another +1 for Hayden’s method (assuming there’s no splinter in the split). I find fine grade sandpaper or emery cloth rolled into a tube is best for sanding down the split, as the curved surface means you can get ‘into’ the cut more.

In addition, if the split is on the crease of your finger joint you may want to consider keeping your finger in an extended/open position, especially when sleeping. This is because when at rest your fingers tend towards a half-curled position; if the split heals like this it may re-open when the finger fully flexed back. Keeping your finger extended is most easily done by loosely taping a lolly stick or similar to the back - however your will feel like an idiot.

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#10 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 04:06:56 pm
Another +1 for Hayden’s method (assuming there’s no splinter in the split). I find fine grade sandpaper or emery cloth rolled into a tube is best for sanding down the split, as the curved surface means you can get ‘into’ the cut more.

In addition, if the split is on the crease of your finger joint you may want to consider keeping your finger in an extended/open position, especially when sleeping. This is because when at rest your fingers tend towards a half-curled position; if the split heals like this it may re-open when the finger fully flexed back. Keeping your finger extended is most easily done by loosely taping a lolly stick or similar to the back - however your will feel like an idiot.

+1 for the keeping extended, I found this made all the difference for joint splits when I've had them. Q-tips work really well for this.

SA Chris

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#11 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 04:13:57 pm
make sure it's wooden ones, none of this single use plastic crap :)

Fultonius

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#12 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 04:30:19 pm
Any magic cures for jamming goobies?

SA Chris

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#13 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 04:33:57 pm
You mean gobies?

Superglue :)

Fultonius

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#14 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 04, 2020, 08:24:29 pm
Tomato tomayto....

I'm thinking more long term (repair, strengthening the skin) than superglue.

SA Chris

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#15 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 07, 2020, 09:23:08 am
goobie is a shit skier, gobie is a scab that won't heal.

GazM

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#16 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 07, 2020, 12:57:30 pm
A wee update a few days on from posting.
I've gone for both approaches reccomended here. I started by soaking and poking but I've not found any foreign bodies so phase 2 has been aggressive sanding and daily application of heel balm.

The callus is now much flatter and the cut/lesion/opening (whatever it is) is wider, having been sanded down into itself, but I'm hoping that keeping this up will stimulate it to properly close and heal when I stop the sanding. Fingers crossed.

MischaHY

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#17 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
September 07, 2020, 01:02:52 pm
A wee update a few days on from posting.
I've gone for both approaches reccomended here. I started by soaking and poking but I've not found any foreign bodies so phase 2 has been aggressive sanding and daily application of heel balm.

The callus is now much flatter and the cut/lesion/opening (whatever it is) is wider, having been sanded down into itself, but I'm hoping that keeping this up will stimulate it to properly close and heal when I stop the sanding. Fingers crossed.

As it keeps healing the base of the split will come closer to the surface as you sand the split away, and eventually you'll be left with flat skin :)

GazM

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#18 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 03:30:28 pm
A final update and another plug for the universal panacea that is heel balm.

My several month long fight with my holey finger finally came to an end after epic sanding, wound probing and eventual removal of a thick scab that then formed over the hole. I then had nightly applications of heel balm to soften up the callous. It's been totally heeled over and pain free for a month or so now and normal climbing (aka failing on projects) has resumed.

Still no idea what caused it, but thank fuck it's gone.

SA Chris

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#19 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 04:06:21 pm
It's been totally heeled over.

quality punning.

GazM

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#20 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 04:26:08 pm
Obviously that was intentional...

tomtom

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#21 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 04:56:43 pm
It's been totally heeled over.

quality punning.

That’s a callous comment.

Fultonius

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#22 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 05:18:52 pm
Watch you don't rub him up the wrong way with all this banter.

tomtom

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#23 Re: Weird finger split that won't heal!
November 02, 2020, 05:24:31 pm
Ok. I’ll toe the line.

 

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