Painful DIP

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I had something similar to this on a middle finger PIP joint years ago. For ages I thought it was joint synovitis, then maybe a volar plate injury, and eventually concluded it was a collateral ligament. Think Barrows has had something similar too.

I did loads of different things with varying degrees of success. Flossing the finger with a theraband helped, as did the Saunders range of motion stuff. Icing it helped straight after a climbing session.

The thing that made it worst for me was full crimping, so I got in the habit of taping either side of the joint to prevent the finger getting into a really acute angle. I still do this now to keep it at bay. I also made a distinct effort to minimise crimping when indoor climbing, to the extent that even now on the board I mostly open hand stuff. I never really stopped climbing as no amount of rest seemed to help it. Like cofe I tried my best to avoid pissing it off but tolerated a certain amount of pain. Eventually it eased and ebbed away, has come back a few times briefly before disappearing again. The joint remains bigger than the equivalent on my other hand. perhaps tellingly it was last painful in 2019 when I was crimping a lot on Yorkshire lime. I went to spain for 3 months and did loads of climbing on jugs and never had a peep out of it.

I would see a physio but don't expect miracles. I saw a physio and they were very honest and said there was little research into what might be causing it and rest was unlikely to help too much. Its good to chat it through but they aren't all seeing and all knowing I guess and I am sceptical whether a full rehab plan would have helped me any more than what I ended up doing; namely the common sense approach of not pissing it off and climbing around it as much as possible.

edit: lol just saw this wasn't a new thread and I've just reproduced everything I wrote years ago. as you were!
 
The other thing I did a lot of was ROM exercises, joint manipulation and massage. I'd say they also helped, but the tape I think made the difference. I was advised to avoid the fingerboard, boards etc. and I chose to avoid the wall.
 
Thanks i've been doing the Saunders stretches and climbing doctor joint mobilisation and then some ROM exercises after the ROM has been increased from the mobilisations.
 
Hand putty comes in different densities, is pretty cheap and great for gently mobilising joints. By way of example- https://www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/patterson-medical-therapy-putty-super-soft-113g.html?ff=1&fp=22110
 

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