[powderpuff]

Im interested to get people's take on my rehab plan. Strained my pinky 2 weeks ago. Should have known better as fingers had been tweaky for a few weeks. Hurts most when i pinch, crimps and open feels better.My base level is flashing v5, v6-8 constitutes hard climbing for me.
I wonder if im over careful when returning from finger strains thus the post.

My plan is:
Rest for 2 weeks(done)
-I plan to climb on jugs no crimping for next 2 weeks.
-2 weeks after that try out easy crimping
-1 month of v2-3 circuits
-1 month of v2-4 circuits
 
Back to normal climbing....

[Dexter]

Personally I'd just get straight back to climbing using front three only for a bit. Pretty sure there's some science saying training the other side helps recovery i.e. injured left leg, training right leg improves recovery. Not sure if the same applies to neighbouring fingers.

After a week or two I'd try some more open handed slopey problems (one the easier end) with all four fingers and ease the pinky back to full use.

[Sasquatch]

perhaps a better explanation of "strain would go a ways.  Pulley, Joint, ligament, muscle?  All are real options, and slightly different treatment

[powderpuff]

Personally I'd just get straight back to climbing using front three only for a bit. Pretty sure there's some science saying training the other side helps recovery i.e. injured left leg, training right leg improves recovery. Not sure if the same applies to neighbouring fingers.

After a week or two I'd try some more open handed slopey problems (one the easier end) with all four fingers and ease the pinky back to full use.

I should of mention that I had a similar injury a fews years back. I didn't do any re hab and I ended up making the finger worst. I followed a similar program to that which I've outline here and it sorted the problem. I think I'm answering my own post now but thanks for giving me your opinion

[powderpuff]

perhaps a better explanation of "strain would go a ways.  Pulley, Joint, ligament, muscle?  All are real options, and slightly different treatment

I always find diagnosing
finger injuries difficult, but the pain is on the outside of the finger around the A4 could even hurt between the A4 and the A3. Hope that helps explain the injury better.

It's not massively painful when crimping but can hurt doing day to day tasks. I think there could also be some scar tissue in that area.

This highlights I need to strengthen my pinky when I'm back climbing properly,  as it's disproportionately weak compared to the rest of my fingers

[powderpuff]

After stretching the injured finger alot yesterday I would definitely say i feel the most pain around the A4, however I do feel pain slightlying higher and lower down the finger.

Went to the wall yesterday, climbed just on jugs and only felt slight pain a couple of times. I was quite pleased with this especially as I totally forgot to tape up the finger.

[mrjonathanr]

Climbing on jugs is often excellent rehab.

[powderpuff]

Climbing on jugs is often excellent rehab.

Currently doing just that at the climbing wall 

But with a taped up finger this time!

[Sasquatch]

If it's around the outside of the finger, then I'd be surprised if its the pulley.  Your description sounds like it might be a collateral ligament issue or a c2/c3 issue.  Climbing on jugs won't really hurt it if its the ligament, but it won't help it much either.

https://theclimbingdoctor.com/portfolio-items/collateral-ligament-sprain/

[powderpuff]

If it's around the outside of the finger, then I'd be surprised if its the pulley.  Your description sounds like it might be a collateral ligament issue or a c2/c3 issue.  Climbing on jugs won't really hurt it if its the ligament, but it won't help it much either.

https://theclimbingdoctor.com/portfolio-items/collateral-ligament-sprain/

Interesting..... thanks.

I should of said, I also get pain when I press on the inside of my finger, or when holding heavy shopping bags!

Sods law, I can't find an elastic band anywhere to try these exercises out 

[duncan]

If it's around the outside of the finger, then I'd be surprised if its the pulley.  Your description sounds like it might be a collateral ligament issue or a c2/c3 issue. 

https://theclimbingdoctor.com/portfolio-items/collateral-ligament-sprain/

The aggrivating activities - which put a lateral or torsional stress on the joint  - and relative lack of pain on crimping support this and suggest it is not a pulley. In which case any kind of straight pull down - jugs or crimps - could be OK. Pockets, pinches and finger jams are likely to be the most aggrivating. The caveat is that pulling straight down on a flat hold will put some torsional stress on the little and index fingers especially if they are markedly shorter than the index and ring fingers. Pulley taping is probably not going to make much difference, as you have found.

Foot-on campusing (on large rungs obviously) or foot-on fingerboarding would be another way to give the joint a controlled and predictable amount of stress as it heals.

Mild discomfort as you climb is acceptable, pain more than two hours after you have stopped suggests you have overdone things.