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the shizzle => diet, training and injuries => Topic started by: Alex Smurthwaite on May 25, 2017, 01:22:29 pm
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I've had pretty bad pain in my left middle finger for the past month or so. The only climbing I've done is an easy circuit at bridestones maybe twice a week.
Been soaking it in ice water twice a day and followed instructions from a hand doctor. It's not improved at all. Even though it's apparently only a minor strain.
I've now developed a similar pain in my right middle finger. Any ideas for what it may be and treatment.
I've been super careful to open hand eveything with my right since my left started hurting. So not sure how it's got injured.
Cheers
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Where exactly does it hurt? Does it hurt all the time or just when you press it?
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Lower part of my finger closest to the ring finger. I have to press in a very specific place to feel any pain. Which is why im struggling to work out what it is
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*anecdotal medical advice alert*
Do you have full range of motion in the finger - especially the PIP joint?
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Yeah full range in both fingers through all joints
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It's a pulley, it's always a pulley. Always.
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It's a pulley, it's always a pulley. Always.
Figured it would be. Any tips on getting it sorted and staying climbing strong without climbing?
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Ok, firstly there are no quick fixes. Pulleys have poor to no blood supply they do not heal like a muscle tear. You need to be patient.
That said you appear to be fortunate in that the symptoms as you have described them are at the mild end of the spectrum despite the fact it has clearly been bothering you for a few weeks. Essentially at this point in your recovery your priorities are not making it worse and not stopping entirely. So keep climbing, tape your PIP joint so you can't bend your finger, do not tape around the pulley itself. Climb carefully and in control and open handed. You don't want shock load it. Don't bone really hard on anything. Select your problems carefully and immediately sack off anything that hurts it. If things seem to be improve think about adding in some controlled static open handed dead hangs in a couple of weeks or so.
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Oh, and read 'Make or Break'.
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Ok, firstly there are no quick fixes. Pulleys have poor to no blood supply they do not heal like a muscle tear. You need to be patient.
That said you appear to be fortunate in that the symptoms as you have described them are at the mild end of the spectrum despite the fact it has clearly been bothering you for a few weeks. Essentially at this point in your recovery your priorities are not making it worse and not stopping entirely. So keep climbing, tape your PIP joint so you can't bend your finger, do not tape around the pulley itself. Climb carefully and in control and open handed. You don't want shock load it. Don't bone really hard on anything. Select your problems carefully and immediately sack off anything that hurts it. If things seem to be improve think about adding in some controlled static open handed dead hangs in a couple of weeks or so.
Cheers man. Really helpful
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Maybe have a listen to Esther Smiths recent podcast about treating finger injuries on TrainingBeta (episode 76). Not necessarily a pulley injury ;-)
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I've started diagnosing all my patients with pulley injuries regardless of presenting complaint. Right iliac fossa pain? Pulley injury. Sudden onset severe occipital headache? That's a pulley. Central crushing chest pain? You guessed it. Pulley injury. Never fails to get a result. Every demented 80 year old back crushing 8B in no time.
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Even stabbing and shooting pains?
Or are these normally caused by stabbing and shooting?
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Most common cause still pulleys.
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I don't think this adds much to the advice already given (did someone mention it was probably a pulley?), but having it in both middle fingers and open handing everything sounds similar to issues I've had. Is your middle finger more flexed than your index and ring when you drag a 3 finger edge? My middle finger tends to roll outwards towards my ring finger in that position and I think that torque is what fucks them up. It might be worth trying to half crimp things as well to give it some lateral support from your other fingers.
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I don't think this adds much to the advice already given (did someone mention it was probably a pulley?), but having it in both middle fingers and open handing everything sounds similar to issues I've had. Is your middle finger more flexed than your index and ring when you drag a 3 finger edge? My middle finger tends to roll outwards towards my ring finger in that position and I think that torque is what fucks them up. It might be worth trying to half crimp things as well to give it some lateral support from your other fingers.
I used to half crimp everything. Tended to only full crimp outdoors. I've started to drag everything as it's the only grip type that doesn't make it feel like my fingers going to explode. Starting to half crimp on bigger holds is something I want to try. As I've always been strongest in half crimp as a pose to any other grip type