[alasdair19]

Have had recurring problems with what i think is a "flexor unit strain"

Open handed pockets with ring and middle fingers, small slip or just a hard pull, pop! feeling a bit of pain followed by a 6-8 week recovery time well aided by physio. Last winter i was just getting somewhere bouldering indoors when pain started to develop without any poping feeling/acute event presumably from over use.

Anyone had something similar? Is there any excersises/training drills that may prevent recurrence?

[fatdoc]

try

www.climbinginjuries.com/

good info on there..

[GCW]

What's your warm up/ warm down routine?  For pulley injuries this is usually th key.  Dumby D did an article on this.  Try Google.

[Sloper]

I found my left ring finger has been significantly weaker since I've been married.

[alasdair19]

have seen dave's article like most literature its all about pulleys, i guess i can;t crimp hard enough to have a regular injury...

I;ve been very warmed up on both acute injury times but had been climbing the day before. Don't train when tired!? i guess.

[The Sausage]

i currently have a similar injury on my right hand, having 'done' my left a few years ago. i found a couple of weeks off followed by very controlled climbing to avoid exacerbating it for a few weeks. fortunately, you can carry on training - i find half crimps no problem, so i just stick to holds i know don't hurt it and try and be in control all the time. regular icing (a washing up bowl of cold tap water at this time of year is best).
and don't be in denial, if it hurts, don't do it

[account_inactive]

i currently have a similar injury on my right hand, having 'done' my left a few years ago. i found a couple of weeks off followed by very controlled climbing to avoid exacerbating it for a few weeks. fortunately, you can carry on training - i find half crimps no problem, so i just stick to holds i know don't hurt it and try and be in control all the time. regular icing (a washing up bowl of cold tap water at this time of year is best).
and don't be in denial, if it hurts, don't do it

Ice and heat does the trick (with a pinch of patience).  Check out

http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/nquarrie/contrast.html

or similar pages on contrast baths

[The Sausage]

Ice and heat does the trick (with a pinch of patience).  Check out

http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/nquarrie/contrast.html

or similar pages on contrast baths
[/quote]

um, evidence on contrast bathing is at best very shaky (don't believe all you read on the internet), and for acute(up to 72 hours)/sub-acute(up to 2 weeks) injuries heat should really be avoided... it can only assist the inflammatory process. for chronic injuries, contrast bathing can help (anecdotally).
the important thing is to start stressing it very gradually, within the limits of comfort, after about a week. start by using your other hand to put some force through the finger, in the same way as if you were hanging a hold. gradually increase over the following weeks until you can hang body weight off it. be careful and systematic and avoid re-injury.

[account_inactive]

Ice and heat does the trick (with a pinch of patience).  Check out

http://www.ithaca.edu/faculty/nquarrie/contrast.html

or similar pages on contrast baths

um, evidence on contrast bathing is at best very shaky (don't believe all you read on the internet), and for acute(up to 72 hours)/sub-acute(up to 2 weeks) injuries heat should really be avoided... it can only assist the inflammatory process. for chronic injuries, contrast bathing can help (anecdotally).
the important thing is to start stressing it very gradually, within the limits of comfort, after about a week. start by using your other hand to put some force through the finger, in the same way as if you were hanging a hold. gradually increase over the following weeks until you can hang body weight off it. be careful and systematic and avoid re-injury.
[/quote]

Sorry should have said keep away from the heat within 72 hours. 
I thought that Huffy had said he was taught this at Uni?  Do you have any links to any research sausage?  I've looked at PubMed, but don't have decent access away from Uni

[alasdair19]

just to let folk know its still a little sore to the touch but i stopped taping (which definitly helped) when i realised that i had taped the wrong hand.

regular massage (to increase bloodflow)
ultra sound and acupuncture from phyiso john

compete lay of was maybe 2 weeks, training conservatively for maybe 4-6 weeks.

i still refuse to grab two finger  pockets!

I reckon i had a mild version....