[Camo]

Hi all,

Wondered if anyone could offer any experience or advice with an injury I’ve had. I have searched around but can’t find anything that particularly describes the injury.

Whenever I use a Gaston or other hold with the thumbs down I get sever pain at the bottom of my thumb, but only on the palm side. The wrist and top ‘back’ of the thumb are totally unaffected.

I rarely climb using a full crimp, in preference for half crimp or sometimes drag. Generally pinches are ok although sometimes certain pinches and undercuts also trigger it. All downwards pulls are totally fine.

Has anyone got any knowledge on what this is and how to rehab it?

Many thanks

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Hmm.

Interesting one Camo.

Have had inflammation of the tendon sheath just below the thumb, and associated pain when using the thumb to stabilise the crimp, but not quite as you describe.

Slightly strange that pinches are generally OK, but that's what you observe. Is the degree of flexion in the wrist a factor?

Just wanted to add a bit about my own experience, because treatment for the inflammation was one round of laser treatment, at Sports Injuries physio in Sheffield.

If I'm playing the guitar a lot, I sometimes get the odd "arthritic stab" of pain in the thumb joint, but again, not really as you describe.

Good luck with it!   

Hopefully someone else can give a bit more insight.

[Camo]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply. My experience with the pinches has been mostly on tufas, which in a medium width don’t affect it much. Very narrow pinches affect it more and I struggle to remember using a very wide pinch to note what it was like.

I think the wrist flexion does play a part in it but it’s difficult to note which position is worse.

What’s unusual is that it’s either a very dull throb which is barely an issue or absolutely excruciating to the point where I have to fall off, and it’s only ever happened to the full extent in a Gaston.

I don’t know anything about laser treatment so will have a look into that thanks.