Finger Injuries

[spotly]

I've been working on a route at the local gym that's nothing but little footholds. At best, I can get 2 finger tips on each hold. Been making progress on the route but I'm starting to get some serious pain in my finger joints so I give the route a break for a few days before giving it another go. I suppose the finger pain is common when spending too much time on these holds - any suggestions for how to deal with the injury? Maybe my 47 year old fingers shouldn't be messing with that route. What are the long-term consequences on the joints? Anyhoo, I'm sure this varies with each person but any words of wisdow appreciated.

[TheOtter]

... my 47 year old fingers shouldn't be messing with that route...

 

DING DING DING! That's the right answer.

 

Just think, if you tear a tendon and can't climb for six months, you'll miss out on outdoor climbing in the spring and early summer (happened to me!). Is some indoor route worth that to you?

 

You otter leave the tiny crimpers alone.

 

Go ice climbing, skiing, hiking, weight lifting, running, kayaking, biking, fishmongering, shopping, reading, bowling.... instead.

 

That's what you otter do.

[sexual_chocolate]

My suggestion would be to resist the notion that your age is somehow complicit with your condition (unless it brings you comfort and you'd rather hang on to it).

 

Pulling on really small holds can bring pain and injury to anyone, especially if you aren't used to it. If you have chronic pain, especially while trying your route, then I think you need to take a break and let your fingers heal. Come back to it when you're better.

[sexual_chocolate]

As an aside to the age thing: I think age has something to do with "it" in so far as one has become a casualty of a rather standardized aging process that we pretty much share as human beings; I'm simply suggesting that these notions are arbitrary to the degree to which they are malleable, and it's something of a personal choice whether or not one becomes a victim of them.

[spotly]

No real pain while on the route and not chronic...yet - though that is my concern. I've pulled on plenty of tiny holds over the last few years but these are quite a bit smaller than I'm used to. I'll continue on it for a bit with some rest days between and see if they build up or break down. As far as the age advice - my climbing partner is quite a bit younger than me and a much better climber so I've grown used to throwing my age back at him when he dogs me about pinging off something he'd style up. It's my excuse and I'm sticking with it

[Winter]

Try taping your fingers in between the joints. It helps quite a bit.

[Maestro]

OK, I got a dozen years on you and my fingers are still intact. Yeah, they get a little stiff, but so far they haven't bonked out on me. I don't think your age has anything to do with your fingers. Overuse injuries can happen to anyone at any age. You just need to take it easy on them. When they complain, pay attention and back off! Tendons take longer to develop than muscles. It will be easier when they build up the strength they need to stay healthy, but I don't think it ever goes away entirely.

[Drederek]

So the thing you have not yet learned is how much pain you can endure before you are seriously injured. In my experience if it keeps hurting about like you describe I will eventually tear a pulley. Last time I did that was last winter when I was only 46 However I seem to just partially tear them to where I can wear a tape "ring" for a month or two (all the time) and it will heal. Someone suggested preemptive taping and i would second that advice. There have been a few threads in here on taping fingers that have helped me do a better job. Basically just keeping the tendon from stretching far enough to break. Hopefully you can send this thing before it sends you or gets torn down. GL

[spotly]

Well, after a few days break, the pain went down in all but two digits - just pretty stiff right now. I gave the route another try and actually made a few more moves and the joints aren't any worse so the break was good.

 

Not sure I understand how taping between the joints can help so I'll put on the reading glasses and check out the threads on taping. Thanks.

[Drederek]

Think of your fingers as fishing poles with the main tendon between the end of your finger and the muscle in your forearm as the line and the little tendons that wrap around your fingers (one per joint) as the eyes that the line goes thru. These are the pulleys that usually blow out or get torn. You're just reinforcing the pulleys by wrapping tape around them.

[Sherri]

Keep in mind that the pain showing up in the fingers could be orginating from a problem elsewhere in the arm, or even from the shoulder. You may find some helpful info here http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3841/is_200207/ai_n9134304 or try Googling "Trigger Point Therapy".

 

Personally, I've found the Trigger Point Therapy Workbook to be an invaluable training tool (for treating owies from all my "bad habits"--running, biking, climbing, etc.) and would recommend it to any athlete, of any age.

Good luck!