[Fultonius]

Alright guys, first time on UKB so time to strap in and enjoy the ride!

I tweaked a the tendon in my left ring finger while bouldering on a "tweaky pocket" about a week ago.

I got some sharp pains about midway from my elbow to my wrist and I'm almost 100% sure it's where the flexor tendon joins the muscle.

I rested for around 5 days and did some gentle stretching and fist clenching (not so much that it hurt) and I've been down the wall once and did some easy routes (less than 5+) which didn't seem too much stress for it.

However, I am a bit worried that climbing is not controlled enough to make sure that I don't hurt it again, and this morning thought about using my fingerboard instead.

What I did was a gentle warm up then did some gentle hangs off first-joint edges (with my feet on the ground, to reduce the load)

This seemed to work quite well as I felt I could put just the right amount of stress on the fingers in a controlled way. (I used scales to work out how much load, I was taking about 40% bodyweight)


Has anyone else used a fingerboard for recovery? Anyone have any reasons why this is a bad idea?

[a dense loner]

no, and think it's only a bad idea if you've no discipline. what you're doing sounds good in theory, tho to be honest you're probably not pulling very hard at all (not meant as offensive) and you will soon want to make leaps of faith. this is where you will hurt yourself. if ned gives you any advice don't take it

[Fultonius]

Disclipline is key....I need some kind of electric shock if I'm pulling too hard!

I'm going to keep using the scales and try to build it up 5% of bodyweight at a time or something.

[Paul B]

Disclipline is key....I need some kind of electric shock if I'm pulling too hard!

I'm going to keep using the scales and try to build it up 5% of bodyweight at a time or something.

I think expecting gains like that every session might lead you to push yourself too far to soon, thats just my opinion though.

[SA Chris]

Mr Fulton ( I assume it's you). I think it sounds like a bad idea. Have you ever done anything by half measures? When are you up here again?

[Fultonius]

Alright Chris, your powers of observation are impeccable!

I have had many conflicting views on this......I need a finger specialist, anyone got a spare one lying around?

You'll be glad to hear my shoulder is 100% again, I can Gaston like the good man himself and it's not moving. It's all about the BIG weights! Olympic Snatch is the key!

But alas, I have another injury to add to my ever expanding list, this time due to being stoopid   - too little warm up and pulling too hard on a pocket when I should've let go!

My body is a temple.......and the cooncil just put a dereliction order on it!

[GCW]

I have had many conflicting views on this......I need a finger specialist, anyone got a spare one lying around?

I can't give you a proper answer on whether it is good or bad as I have not assessed the finger/arm.  All I can say is go to see someone that knows if you want an accurate opinion.
I, personally, would avoid fingerboards in the recovery-from-injury phase, if that means anything at all.

[Fultonius]

I'd love to go to someone who knows.....where is he/she?

I'm based in glasgow, my own physio is good, but no finger/climbing specialist. He's based at the hampden sports injury clinic.

[Houdini]

This thread cracks me up!





You want scientific proof that fire is hot? 





I hear guillotines are great for migraines...

[GCW]

I moved out of Glasgow 6 years ago, so I can't help there.  I'm sure your physio would know of somebody.

[GCW]

This thread cracks me up!

Why is that?  I think this has been a very useful thread on whether or not fingerboards may, or may not, possibly, maybe, might just be useful in rehab.
If you ain't got anything constructive to say, f*ck off and get a 30 second power score to be proud of.  Wimp.   

[Houdini]

This thread cracks me up!

If you ain't got anything constructive to say...

Too, too good!   

[a dense loner]

i think the great houdini is right to bring a little randomness into this thread, after all nobody has a clue. does everybody have a physio or a trust fund these days?

[BenF]

i think the great houdini is right to bring a little randomness into this thread, after all nobody has a clue. does everybody have a physio or a trust fund these days?

I have neither trust fund nor physio, but I think the randomness is worthwhile.  As it is in every thread.

[GCW]

Dense, threads like this always go the same way:

I've hurt myself and self-diagnosed it as a quaddrospazzed digit, can I do 1-5-9 on 5mm rungs as part of my training?
Ooh, not sure.  Bob says he did.
Sounds like a bad plan to me.
I agree.
I wouldn't go more for more than 1-4-7 myself.
Rest it for a year.
Use a PowerBall.
Cheers guys, I'll ignore what everyone has said anyway and do what I was already going to do.

I don't know of a study looking specifically at fingerboard usage in the recovery phase of a possibly-sprained-something.  
There's no real SCIENCE to guide us.  All I can say is common sense to me means:  injury= avoid fingerboard initially.
There's no evidence for it, but it is scientific fact.

And I'm not having a go at Houdini.  For once.

[a dense loner]

i agree completely. wibble

[Fultonius]

I aint got no effin trust fund boyo!

And if i go to the physio it'll be my own hard earned that's paying for it!


Might book an appointment this week to see what he says.

[Fultonius]

Just booked an appointment with the physio, at least now I'll be able to get a proper assessment.  No ones getting any christmas prezzies this year!

[Houdini]

Fuck fizzio's!

Doc Houdini recommends you bust the weightbelt out and get campussing sharpish.

[a dense loner]

don't be alarmed by my comments, just you saying "my" physio implied that you go a lot 

and like the boss said "i ain't a boy, i'm a man, and i believe in the promised land"

[Jim]

I'm a teapot

[SA Chris]

Fingerboarding for recovery sounds like fighting for peace to me.

[BenF]

Fingerboarding for recovery sounds like fighting for peace to me.

Sounds great, how do I join?

[Three Nine]

When I had a flexor unit problem (in ring finger after pulling way too hard on a pocket), I took two weeks out then just climbed outdoors (routes not bouldering) and sacked the plastic, till it got better. I reckon you can do any amount of routes (even indoors) as long as you dont piss it off. Thats one of the good things about flexor unit probs -you can generally still climb. I would sack any nonsense with a fingerboard and go and focus on technique/milage and so on for a few weeks and you ought to gradually find you can put more and more stress on it. Sacking climbing is a bad idea imo. I made a full recover in about four months, but was back to full onsight level in two (just being careful). Do crimpy routes and avoid pockets?

[a dense loner]

well, says dense while collecting more wood for the fire. i tweaked a finger twice this year, seperate fingers. first one took 2-3 months to heal, second took about a month. first was overtraining, surely not. second was head making cheques my fingers couldn't cash. both were done on pockets, and the only thing i couldn't do in all my time off was crimp. by time off i mean no time off

[Fultonius]

What do you mean by "flexor unit", are you referring to the tendon, the muscle or the entire system? Unfortunately, living in Glasgow in winter menas there is very little in the way of outdoor climbing......and every time I go to the wall I just want to pull down hard!

I wonder if easy winter climbing will affect it?

[Fultonius]

Just been googling.....flexor unit strain seems to describe it perfectly.....pity there's bugger all info on rehab out there!

[Three Nine]

Not so. Look at Mcleod's summary of pulley injuries on his main page (under articles). This includes flexor unit strain (although its not a pulley injury!) and suggests rehab measures etc. Also see his cold treatment podcast which i followed during recovery. My friend who's doing a D.Phil on tendons and stuff says his science might be a bit dodgy, but i reckon it helps - which is the only important thing!

Doubt winter climbing would hurt it at all. I'm not keen on the plastic at the best of times, so felt it easy to sack that and just climb outdoors. Maybe winter climbing/trad in the bitter cold, is hte way forward?

[Three Nine]

Not quite sure what a flexor unit actually comprises - but the symptoms were - acute pain in finger and palm, and inability to open hand with that finger (to flex it against resistence in an open position). hope that helps

[Fultonius]

That sounds more like a flexor tendon strain, as the flexor unit strain is characterised by shooting pains from the finger all the way to the elbow, which is what I have.

It's not what I'd call acute pain, it just feels wrong. 

[Fultonius]

After 2 fingerboard sessions I think I am fully qualified to say.......I don't think it's the right approach!

Got the physio today, so hopefully that'll shed some light on the matter.

[GCW]

After 2 fingerboard sessions I think I am fully qualified to say.......I don't think it's the right approach!

No Sher, Shitlock!!   

[a dense loner]

but you took your weight comfortably at 40%, according to the scales. what changed? either it wasn't comfortable or on your second session you did more? i'm curious. you should be the fingerboard therapy guinea pig

[Fultonius]

Well, I've been to the physio and he's given looked at both my problems:

1. Shoulder. I subluxated (partially dislocated) my left shoulder while bouldering about 5 months ago. The doc told me to "take it easy" and wouldn't refer me to my physio  so I just made up a training program to fix it.
 Phisio agress that I subluxated it and says the work I've done so far is good, he gave me a couple more excercises to do but said that it's in pretty good shape.

2. Finger. I have a grade 1/2 strain of my finger flexor unit in the left ring finger. He says carefull use of the fingerboard should be ok, along with loads of stretching and squeezing type exercises with a gentle build up of climbing from next week. Should be back to full strength in 4-5 weeks if I'm carefull.

Sounds good to me!

[SA Chris]

Did the extreme cold therapy of Friday help recovery? Nice one for getting routes done, looks like you had ace conditions.

[Fultonius]

Not sure if it helped, but it certainly hasn't hurt it.

Weather was ace, conditions were challenging! Inglis did his usual and did a hard pitch, followed by setting up a belay below a horrendously steep and tehnical section (not sure if we were off-route, or if it was just the lean conditions, or the fact it was getting dark and I've not done any technical 6 before)

Good first day of the season though. Ski-touring on the plateau would've been good.

[SA Chris]

Aye thinking of getting skis out for next weekend if it holds.

[Fultonius]

Supposedly Meaghaidh was quite good too. Inglis just bought himself some skins.

[Fultonius]

Update for anyone who may be interested.

After about 4 weeks of taking it easy (started off doing F4 - F5+ routes for 2 weeks, then pushed it a bit more up to about F6a, then F6b for another couple of weeks) it started to feel much better.

I did some bouldering on sunday, progressively pushing a bit harder, with no pain at all...felt great. Managed loads of V3's and flashed two V4's, so not too bad.

However, I woke up the next day with a sore RIGHT forearm.......bugger!!!! Thought it was just a bit of post-climbing sore muscles so I just rested and stretched it.

It felt OK yesterday, so I went down the wall for some more bouldering and within about 20 minutes of warming up it was a wee bit sore and got progressively worse so I just sacked it in and went home.

It's sore midway between my elbow and wrist and seems to affect all fingers right at the point where the tendons join the muscle.....should be fine with a bit of rest and a more gentle return to climbing.

I think I'm becoming resigned to the fact that I'm permi-injured!


 

[Houdini]

Myself?  I'm flabbergasted with your approach and am heartened there are still people fruity enough to look Certain Doom in the eye, and say, Have some of that.

I wad thee, Broken Thing.

[Fultonius]

But it's my other forearm! And I haven't touched the fingerboard!!!

My original dodgy tendon is fixed.

Unless I've just gloriously missed the point in your reply? Which is definitely a possibility, I haven't really learnt the language of UKB yet!