[mark_mcq]

Hi everyone, thought I should post this topic to see if anyone is experiencing the same problem as me. When I wake up in the morning, my fingers can be so stiff that i can't clench them into a fist. It is not painful to try, it just feels like they physically will not bend. The severity depends on what I have done the day before, if nothing it is not nearly as bad, if I have been 'training' its a little worse, and if I have had a full bouldering sesh either in or outdoors it can be quite bad.

The symptoms last for approximatly 2 to 4 minutes. After I have got out of bed, the movement comes back very quickly, and within 20 mins to half an hour I have full movement and no discomfort whatsoever.

My training involves a lot of campusing, I have a 158 board with small metoulius rungs in my room, but I use this on nearly a daily basis (for around 40 mins), and normally I wake up and the fingers are OK. However after a longer bouldering sesh they feel much worse the next morning.

I should add that when climbing I have no discomfort, no tweaks, no pain at all. I have not had a finger injury as such for many years.

I have not been to a physio yet because I feel they may just say something stupid like 'stop climbing and it will stop'... And at 24 years old I would not listen to such advise anyway!

Any ideas whats up with my fingers??

[k2ted]

no campussing expert but every day sounds way, way too much.  Try campussing once or twice per wk with rest days following campus sessions. I'd wait for advice from campus beasts on here though...

[mian0503]

Have the same feeling too. Don´t believe it´s a danger ...since it´s not painful, but less movement in the joint could maybe come from arthritis...maybe!? I use to put my hands i cold water for approx 10-30 minutes after a complete bouldering session to enchance the blood flow a bit and it seems to work quite we´ll and feels very very good.

God luck Mikael

[redcal]

I've recently noticed similar symptoms that again go away after a few minutes, i don't campus as much as you but train on a steep board lots, does not cause any discomfort but if anyone knows why this happens or how to get rid of it then being on the suggestions!

[tobym]

I use to put my hands i cold water for approx 10-30 minutes after a complete bouldering session to enchance the blood flow a bit and it seems to work quite we´ll and feels very very good.

Dave Mcleod's onlineclimbingcoach blog has some good info on this.

[BB]

When started getting stiff fingers in the morning i tried taking glucosamine sulphate and it seems to have sorted it. Of course, it may just be that it got better of its own accord but hey, it's worth a go.

[slackline]

Giving the knuckles a good crack in the morning sorts out my stiffies 

[mark_mcq]

Hey, thanks for all the advise, tried the cold water thing and it definatly made them feel a lot better the next morning. Although I do find it very uncomfortable actually holding my hands in the water itself, but hey, no pain no gain right? Its reassuring that I am not the only one with crazy morning finger syndrome.

[Paul B]

I used to get achey fingers when I'd been on really crimpy numbers the night before, I just took it to mean I'd worked them, which was my intention. Every day campussing sounds beastly. I can't campus for sh*t 

[mark_mcq]

Its not as beastly as you might imagine, I am only going for around 40 mins or so with good rests between reps, I always stop when I can still climb at nearly my max.. Lots of short sessions seems to work well for me.

[mitchez]

This has now started happening to me.  Only been bouldering for just under a year and starting 2 weeks ago I noticed the morning after a session I could barely move my middle & ring fingers on my right hand.

After about 10-15minutes then started to loosen. This week it's happened every morning following two really tough sessions, a difficult session on the finger board and an increase in campus boarding.

It's not an overly pleasant feeling. 

[Luke Owens]

This has now started happening to me.  Only been bouldering for just under a year and starting 2 weeks ago I noticed the morning after a session I could barely move my middle & ring fingers on my right hand.

After about 10-15minutes then started to loosen. This week it's happened every morning following two really tough sessions, a difficult session on the finger board and an increase in campus boarding.

It's not an overly pleasant feeling. 

You've been bouldering for just under a year and you've started campus boarding already? That could possibly be the source of the problem...

[tomtom]

If your fingers are hurting that much - I'd suggest stopping what you were doing...

Move to open handing holds - and doing problems with larger open hand holds. Work the overhangs on big holds and get those shoulders built up etc...

I get the same pains if I've been doing lots of very crimpy things - but only a little ache etc.. then I vary my climbing/training schedule to vary it away from the small crimpy stuff...

[mitchez]

You've been bouldering for just under a year and you've started campus boarding already? That could possibly be the source of the problem...

I'm guessing so, nothing much has changed, the sessions have been tough but not overly crimpy but we've started campus boarding as a competition between us and I'm thinking it wasn't a very smart move!

[Luke Owens]

I'm guessing so, nothing much has changed, the sessions have been tough but not overly crimpy but we've started campus boarding as a competition between us and I'm thinking it wasn't a very smart move!

Knock it on the head for a bit but continue with everything else and see if your fingers feel better for it. At least then you could try and narrow down what's causing it.

Also, make sure you're warming up properly too. Especially before a really intense session.

I get very achey the following day if my warm ups aren't substantial enough.

[SA Chris]

You've been bouldering for just under a year and you've started campus boarding already? That could possibly be the source of the problem...

I'm guessing so, nothing much has changed, the sessions have been tough but not overly crimpy but we've started campus boarding as a competition between us and I'm thinking it wasn't a very smart move!

+1 to what he's said and +1 to what you've said. Go easy on the campusing unless you are already operating in the mid to upper 7s at least? Finger injuries suck ass.