[Fiend]

Was out for a little bouldering in the Peak this evening. Not much opportunity for warming up where I was, so I taped up well to prevent a recurring pulley injury, played around a little and hopped on this problem. Wasn't pouring as much sweat as usual, but didn't think anything of it. Finger felt a bit numb, but it was breezy and I was using a harsh crimp, so I just loosened the tape and carried on. A few more goes and it wasn't going anywhere and my finger was still numb, and a little grey.

No probs I thought, it occasionally happens with taping, so just loosen the tape and let the blood back in.

I loosen the tape.

Nothing happens.

I shake my finger.

Nothing.

I rub it.

Nothing.

I swing my arm down low for a bit.

Nothing.

I repeat a combination of those for a minute or two.

Nothing, my finger is grey and bloodless, pinching it just makes it go a dull yellow, the tip feels all hard and I can hardly feel anything from it. :uhoh:  :freak:  :shock:

At this point I'm starting to shit myself somewhat, I'm feeling a bit sick and suddenly the possibility of hurtling back to A&E only for my dead finger to be fucking amputated is all too strong in my mind....even my friend with me is starting to get worried....I might have been this scared sometime before but I can't actually remember it.

I return to rubbing and swinging and shaking with a lot more vigour and slowly some blood creeps past the lowest joint....and finally into the rest of my finger....thank fuck.

I don't know how prominent the dangers are from cutting off the blood....but that scared me plenty enough. :huh:

[dave]

thats bad shit - maybe you've got low bloodpressure or wack circulation. Blood clots, DVT? i'm just fucking wit ya......

BTW you accidently said Peaks, so i edited that shit fo' your ass, since you've got a bad finger. Don't mention it.

[Bubba]

Nasty - think I'd have shat it as well but then I once called the emergency doctor out one night after I'd taken ecstasy and I developed a sudden ganglion on my wrist. I thought I was about to die, but the doctor wasn't worried at all. I'd never even heard of a ganglion until then  :roll:

Still, all's well that ends well - I suggest going a little easier on the tape in future  :D

I used to know a lass at school who's hand would "die" every now and then in a similar fashion to how you are describing. She wasn't overjoyed about her condition, but it never seemed to do her any harm.

[Fiend]

Still, all's well that ends well - I suggest going a little easier on the tape in future

Yerrrr....the funny thing is, it didn't feel like I taped it any tighter than usual - must have been some freak combination of where the tape was, not warming up (didn't feel tweaky though), and the pressure of the hold or something.

I'm sticking to trad with nice big cracks and jugs for the summer  :wink:

[Jim]

I get this occasionaly with one of my arms in the mornings. I have to grab it with the other arm and beat it against a wall to try and get some blood back in it. it does take quite a while to get some feeling back in it, and then its just painful pins & needles for a while.
Stay off nasty crimps with injuries I recon, and don't tape so tight

[Bubba]

I have to grab it with the other arm and beat it against a wall to try and get some blood back in it.

Bet your missus shat it the first time she saw you doing that  

[a dense loner]

but it never seemed to do her any harm.

dave, how come you didn't edit bubbs sayin "harm", he accidently put an "h" in?
there is nothin worse than someone callin it "the peaks" :twisted:

[AndyR]

must have been some freak combination of where the tape was, not warming up (didn't feel tweaky though), and the pressure of the hold or something.

I used to get this quite a lot - one of my fingers would just go very cold and numb for about half an hour or so - doesn't seem to happen anymore.

[dave]

".....Such a cold finger, beckons you to enter his web of sin.
But don't go in. ...."

word

[Bonjoy]

BA BA BA    diddle idl ee        
  Mr Gold Finger  :007:

[Fiend]

Follow-up... Went on some bumbly trad today, didn't tape up as the finger has been fine for a while, crimped on something and I think I tweaked it again...

   :?  :evil:  :bash:  :freak:  :out:  :twak:  :blow:  :md:   :injured:  :shout:

[Bubba]

You need some time out Fiend fella.....do summat else for a while and let that finger recover...

[John Cooke]

Ive knackered my finger as well! Popped A4 pulley on the ring finger of my right hand! Spent a couple of weeks training finger strength and went for a boulder session at my local wall. Was warming up, crimped pretty hard, and pop!! My whole finger went numb, no swelling but severe pain! Couldn't bend it the next day and could begin to move it two days later!

I've not climbed for over two weeks now! I can't remember the last time I had more than 5 days off! ...Probably why im always injured! Reckon it's another week before I can start properly crimping again. Might take it out for a bit of an exercise on some jugs this weekend!

Has anyone else done the same thing?

Estimated recovery time??

[Carnage]

Beware the scar tissue.......... :evil:

[AndyR]

Has anyone else done the same thing?

Estimated recovery time??

Have done both ring finger pulleys - each time it took about 3-4 months before it was properly healed, but could do trad stuff with bigger holds after about a month - don't be tempted to start crimping again just cos' it doesn't hurt on jugs.

Think I may have done them quite badly though, 'cos each one was accompanied by quite a loud crack :cry:

[Carnage]

I Did my little finger in accompanied by a large cracking noise last December and its still not quite right yet but it is getting there. Wasn't too bad as I could isolate it and still climb. Physio thought it was a hairline fracture and not a tendon problem so that it explains the long recovery time.

For rehabbing I normally buddy tape to a good finger as this seems to help things along and limits the amount of strain placed on the injured finger.

[fatboySlimfast]

Are u guys on about a2 pulleys? Between first joint and hand, underside of finger, feeling of pain usually in sidewhere pulley attached?
If so buggers to heal, avoid pain inducing activity but do not stop!!!! worse thing to do, as metioned scar tissue builds up, pull on it a bit hard again and will be back to square 1. Ive done nearly all my finger a2 pulleys being a rather ahem  larger gentleman.
Avoid bolt on holds
get some physio(one that knows what hes doing) !!!
Direct friction on these injuries seems to work well, bloody painfull but worth it.
Ibuprofen/glocosamine/keep hydrated

[AndyR]

Are u guys on about a2 pulleys? Between first joint and hand, underside of finger, feeling of pain usually in sidewhere pulley attached?

Those are the ones that I did, yep.

I also tape them religiously these days (not as in, wearing robes and swinging incense whilst chanting prayers) and that definitely seems to help.

I just have problems with dislocating/fracturing my little fingers these days - I just hope they find a cure for arthritis..........

It's tough being 'well upholstered'  :cry:

[Tim Heaton]

Are u guys on about a2 pulleys? Between first joint and hand, underside of finger, feeling of pain usually in sidewhere pulley attached?
If so buggers to heal, avoid pain inducing activity but do not stop!!!! worse thing to do, as metioned scar tissue builds up, pull on it a bit hard again and will be back to square 1. Ive done nearly all my finger a2 pulleys being a rather ahem  larger gentleman.
Avoid bolt on holds
get some physio(one that knows what hes doing) !!!
Direct friction on these injuries seems to work well, bloody painfull but worth it.

I think this is what I have too, been having pain in the side of my finger since February now. I stopped for 6 weeks and it got a bit better but it`s still not back to full strength, I have got lots of scar tissue too. My wall only has Bendcrete olds which don`t seem very tendon friendly, I have got to the point where I am not going to climb on it for a month or so to see if it`s that which keeps aggravating it. It doesn`t hurt when I open hand things just crimps, I can`t hang on that hand crimped.

By direct friction do you mean rubbing it? I do circular motions over the area that hurts which seems to break down a fair bit of the scar tissue. I am also trying acupuncture tomorrow, what does the phy

[Tim Heaton]

Sorry must have pressed submit by mistake.

What does the physio tell you to do? They seem to charge a lot of money, do they just use that ultrasound thing on you (does that work?) or something more? I know it`s a bit stupid but I can`t really afford to splash out loads of cash if all they can do is tell you to rest it and rub it every day?

[John Cooke]

No its my A4 Ive pulled. The one above the middle knuckle. Strained my A2's loads put never "popped" one. When I did it, it made a really loud cracking noise... Have read that pulley injuries take roughly between 3 and 6 weeks to heal...

[fatboySlimfast]

I think the term direct friction is a bit of a misnomer, the problem with doing it yourself is that you cant inflict enough pain on yourself(according to fatdoc) For friction read getting tendon rubbed aggresively to point of tears and blubbing :shock:  it fucking kills but seems to promote quicker healing. if you cant afford physio do what your doing, you can get reffered by gp but its very rare. tell you to rest it and fuck off cos they have loads of old giffers to deal with!
ultrasound doesnt really work on fingers in my experience.
had acupunture on a dicky ankle i had(went over on it, never seemed to heal properly) and psychological or not it did some good.
Warm up without the tape! helps you feel what state the finger is in , then tape up. Thats what ive always doen, and you can climb and take ibuprofen cos the pain receptors or summit arent affected, ie it hurts whatever

[Carnage]

I've quite a few probs with pulley injuries and have always found that massage followed by ultrasound (administered by the Physio) worked well. After those sessions I would have acupuncture (pins between the fingers and one in the thumb point) for a couple of weeks which normally sorted it out and certainly helped reduce the pain.

I only once had to see a specialist hand surgeon,after I thought the treatment wasn't working but by the time I'd got the appointment after a few months, the treatment had worked. He checked my finger and fully endorsed the above approach.

Thankfully I've been injury free (apart from a fucked lil finger) for about 10 months (a record!). Most of my injuries have been picked up indoors and only training inside open-handed and icing any twinges immediately has helped alot.

[Tim Heaton]

Cool, I'll stick to my plan then. It always takes me ages to realise that prevention is better than cure. I've never had anything other than a strain, no popping sounds or anything like that, but I never stop enough for it to heal properly and so it just gets worse and worse.
The gentle massage definitely seems to help, I don't think I would go for the direct friction approach without a professional though, sounds like it could do more harm than good if it's not appropriate. I can get cheapish acupuncture as my friend is a acupunturist, first time I tried it was in a way just to see what it would feel like - very wierd sensation, but like you says seems to do something whether pyschological or not. They stuck the needles in the same place, between the fingers, then I had some 'strengthening needles' too in the back of my hand, none in the end of my thumb though - I will ask what that point is for tomorrow.
I like the way they look at your tongue for teeth marks before any treatment, mine is officially fat. Does anyone have a tongue they can fit into the roof of their mouth without pressing against their teeth? I can't believe anyone does.
One thing I have found with my other hand to prevent injuries is systematically using a fingerboard, since you can judge the loads fairly well if you warm up properly it seems to help you strengthen your tendons without overstressing them. I do both open and crimped hangs and touch wood had no problems so far.

[Carnage]

none in the end of my thumb though - I will ask what that point is for tomorrow.
.

Sorry - Not in the end of your thumb. The pin goes in the accupressure point where, if your wrap your thumb over the next finger, it makes a little crease. The point is around the bottom of that, kinda level with the bottom of the flap of skin where the inside of your thumb joins your hand. Press around there and you'll find it.