[etjoset]

About 2 weeks ago I picked up a minor A2 pulley injury on my middle finger through over climbing rather than from a single traumatic event. I can still climb easy stuff without any real discomfort either at the time or in the following hours. However, the finger is slightly swollen and it is painful when I first wake up (though this is regardless of whether I've climbed on it or not). Once I've massaged it for about 15 minutes after waking up, the pain diminishes significantly. Given the morning pain, which soon wears off, is climbing easy stuff (avoiding crimps) a good idea or should I just avoid climbing altogether for now?

Other A2 injury threads on here don't quite seem to cover this specific problem.

Any advice welcomed!

[account_inactive]

Try using the search function for many other similar discussions

[Paul B]

maybe a FAQ injuries section would help sort this out, one for all the common injures like A2 strain with the relevant advice and resources extracted from some previously useful threads?

[miki]

Try this:
http://www.davemacleod.com/articles/pullyinjuries.html

also there is a video about cold treatment:
http://www.davemacleod.com/articles.htm

had the same type of injury a week ago and i´m almost 100% now.
it also started with some soreness in the A2 area that finger when i woke up.

hope that we´ll be full recovered soon 

[account_inactive]

I think Paul is right.  This question gets asked ALOT and people are often too lazy to use the search function (sorry etjoset)

Try this http://www.turntillburn.ch/ttbs/en/med/ringband.htm for some background anatomy

and for research http://www.turntillburn.ch/ttbs/en/publication/pub.htm

and for an overview http://www.climbinginjuries.com/Finger.htm

Hope that helps you back to recovery

[a dense loner]

i did mine 3 wks ago on pockets, resulting in not being able to crimp but could still hang on pockets, insert crazy eyes smiley. then tried crimping on board the other night, went well for 20 mins then heard a crunching sound and thought i'd broke finger. upshot is i rested a day, bought some tape, tied figure of 8 on finger had 3 sessions on woody in 3 days but not crimped with left hand. inspiring stuff i think you'll agree
possibly even better than climbing the marmolada

[Monolith]

had 3 sessions on woody in 3 days but not crimped with left hand. inspiring stuff i think you'll agree

Aye it is. Also makes me feel like a lazy bastard for not having 3 woody sessions in 3 days despite not being injured.

[etjoset]

Thanks for all the useful information in these replies.

I should say that I did do a search on UKB and also trawled the internet before posting but the results that I found didn't exactly match my particular symptoms (i.e. no real pain during or after climbing but moderate soreness the following morning). Advice elsewhere on the web seems contradictory, varying from "no climbing at all" to "climb as much as you like as long as it doesn't hurt at the time".

[SA Chris]

That's always the trouble with free advice.

[lorentz]

If it's only stiff in the morning (fnar fnar etc) are you warming your fingers up and down before/after climbing? Bit of gentle hand movement, clenching and unclenching followed by lightly stretching the fingers back against the joints may loosen up any tightness in the tendons? Just be gentle with it though!

For more serious strainage ice and ibuleve gel, as per previous threads.

Good luck with it.

[Ru]

Advice elsewhere on the web seems contradictory, varying from "no climbing at all" to "climb as much as you like as long as it doesn't hurt at the time".

That's because no-one actually knows.

[BD]

I had some pain around the A2 area too last week, especially when i press on it or tried to crimp. almost exactly the same and also on my middle finger. couldn't be timed more worse after receiving my new hangboard on monday, which should be really helpfull to get me trough the exams. after some rest and davemacmagicalcoldwatertreatment the last few days, i just couldn't resist and tried it out (no crimping or even half-crimping obviously) and it worked out fine. no problems at all and the finger even feels a bit better/stronger now. it's only my first real finger injury and not exactly a big one (thank god) but i'm glad it heals so fast. hopefully not only for me.

BD