Fingers hurting

[Mark O'Neal]

A couple of months ago I started climbing at a gym once a week. Each time after climbing my fingers are slightly swollen and aching for a couple of days. Is there a good home remedy for this?

 

Also in paticular, my middle finger (on both hands) from the middle knuckle back to the top of the hand are particularly sensitive on the underside for several days. It doesn't hurt if I crimp a hold but it hurts like hell if I full on grab it. Is this a technique problem on how I'm grabbing holds or do I just need to toughen up these middle fingers over time?

[catbirdseat]

I used to have trouble with big calluses forming on the fourth finger on the pad between the 2nd and 3rd joint while bouldering in the gym. It's becoming less of a problem and I attribute that to better technique.

 

You might consider more frequent but shorter workouts, if that is possible.

[Dr_Flush_Amazing]

 

It's summertime. Cancel your gym membership and go do some real climbing.

 

Gym climbing = finger injuries.

[montypiton]

Mark - it might be worth your while to pose this concern in the fitness forum. You don't say how much you'd climbed before joining this gym, or how long/intense your weekly sessions are, but the symptoms you describe suggest you could be "overtraining". If you're new to climbing, you may need to build strength more slowly. Your current path ends in chronic tendonitis, and you really don't want that.

[Mark O'Neal]

Well I've only been climbing regularly since I started at the gym a couple of months ago. I usually go for about 2 hours once a week and climb/belay most of the time I'm there. What I'm ultimately trying to understand is it normal for my fingers to hurt, swell, and so on for a couple of days. Or am I over doing it? It sounds like I may be over doing it. I'll post in the Fitness Forum (didn't see it down there) too.

 

Oh yea, the new gym is 10 minutes from my house and the rocks are hours. Easy call there.

[ken4ord]

It sounds like you are over doing it a little if you have only been climbing for a couple of months. After a work out you should expect some soreness and stiffness, after all you are strength training your fingers.

 

I would suggest the following, try getting in more often like CBS said and shorter work outs. Make sure you are properly warming up, I usually start with a few minutes of aerobic activity, these days a brisk 15 minute walk or something like that to get the blood flowing, start with very easy routes, streching and taking your time through the moves, then after a few of them do some stretching. Since you are new I would try to stay away from crimping, though it might not hurt when you crimp it may be the source of your disconfort. Also stay away from fingery pocket problem. If you do decide to crimp using tape on your finger to support your tendon may help, make sure it is not too tight though and inbetween the joints not on the joints.

 

After 17 years of climbing my fingers are sore sometimes after my workout when I have been climbing on crimpers and pockets or after a particularily long session, after all you are working out. If I notice that it is my tendons that are bothering me then I easy back up for a while and not climb so hard until they no longer bother me. If it is my finger muscles then I make sure that my muscles have recovered by the time of my next workout.

[jared_j]

Is the skin on the underside of your fingers sensitive, or the tissue inside your finger? If it is 'inside' your finger, you could have mildly injured pulley tendons. A 'rupture' is when it comes fully detached (not what you have, you'd know). However, the pulley tendon can still be injured (think partially torn, in layman's terms) and sensitive.

 

If it is 'inside' your finger where it hurts, I'd recommend trying to see a hand specialist (if you've got health insurance).

 

If the pain goes away completely in between sessions, then this probably isn't it.

 

If, however, the pain simply dissipates but is still noticeable all of the time (if light), then I'd definitely recommend a doctor visit. I just spent several months off completely because I didn't seek out attention earlier for an injured A2 pulley tendon on my right ring finger.

[jmace]

Make sure you are properly warming up

 

Dude grab one of tose excercise hand balls and work it in your hands on the drive up tot e gym, stretch your fingers before you climb then start on easy finger routes, then move to crimpers and pockets...warm up and you wont have the problem.

[Mark O'Neal]

The pain is generally inside the finger, but up until yesterday as mostly a dull ache (today they feel much better). As I find out more about the problem, I'm thinking that I'm irritating the tendons. You guys are probably onto something about the warming up. I haven't really warmed up as much as I've just jumped right onto the tough holds right away when I get there. I've never been a warming up kind of guy, but perhaps now that I'm pushing 40 its time to start. I'll take it easy next week and definitely try warming up first. I have noticed that the crimping and pockets put more strain on my fingers, so I think I'll try and keep to some easier routes for awhile and focus on footwork.

 

I like the taping suggestion too and will give that a whirl. I've seen some places say tape the space in between the knuckles only, and some places say tape the spaces plus the knuckle to prevent the finger from bending. Which do you guys think is better?

 

Thanks for all the great advise.

[jmace]

Dont tape man, just warm up and get your fingers strong...taping will do more harm than good at this point. When I say warm up I am specifically speaking to your fingers.

 

 

 

 

 

[pink]

A couple of months ago I started climbing at a gym once a week. Each time after climbing my fingers are slightly swollen and aching for a couple of days. Is there a good home remedy for this?

 

Also in paticular, my middle finger (on both hands) from the middle knuckle back to the top of the hand are particularly sensitive on the underside for several days. It doesn't hurt if I crimp a hold but it hurts like hell if I full on grab it. Is this a technique problem on how I'm grabbing holds or do I just need to toughen up these middle fingers over time?

 

 

pull down on organic holds. climbing in a gym isn't climbing it's just working out.

[Mark O'Neal]

pull down on organic holds. climbing in a gym isn't climbing it's just working out.

 

Agreed (but I still find the gym fun). I'll be out and about in the Cascades in July. I just have to make sure I'm healthy and strong.

[ken4ord]

I tape between the knuckles not on so that I don't restrict movement of my tendons through the pulley which are near the joint. As far as dong more damage than good, I would disagree. Taping can be done right to help support and reduce chance of injury, though if you tape and keep on the crimps and pockets before you muscles and tendons have become stronger, then yeah you can still expect problems.

 

Again expect soreness after working out, but like jared said if it lasts and is continuous and ongoing (longer than 2 day after workout) then definitely seek medical advice. Tendon injuries suck, I partially tore a pulley and was out for months. Though it was outside on a natural route vs. being in the gym, it didn't make it any easier staying away from climbing for months.

[jmace]

As far as dong more damage than good, I would disagree. Taping can be done right to help support and reduce chance of injury, though if you tape and keep on the crimps and pockets before you muscles and tendons have become stronger, then yeah you can still expect problems

 

Ken from I know you've been climbing awhile and I dont need to go in to detail of how tape works but this mark guy said

 

Well I've only been climbing regularly since I started at the gym a couple of months ago

 

within that context I said dont tape, get strong get healthy with correct warm ups and go easy on the holds at the beginning of your sesh, dont rely on tape to take the place of building tendon strength.

 

 

[counterfeitfake]

I find the pain you're describing happens to me more often when I've been doing overhanging routes with big holds. I think I grab the holds in such a way that my weight is resting right on the tendon, and combined with the normal workout the finger gets it leads to pain. This is probably bad technique, but at any rate my fingers are better when I climb vertical routes or climb outside on real rock.

[ken4ord]

As far as dong more damage than good, I would disagree. Taping can be done right to help support and reduce chance of injury, though if you tape and keep on the crimps and pockets before you muscles and tendons have become stronger, then yeah you can still expect problems

 

Ken from I know you've been climbing awhile and I dont need to go in to detail of how tape works but this mark guy said

 

Well I've only been climbing regularly since I started at the gym a couple of months ago

 

within that context I said dont tape, get strong get healthy with correct warm ups and go easy on the holds at the beginning of your sesh, dont rely on tape to take the place of building tendon strength.

 

 

 

Agreed, that is why I put in clarifications of 1. taping correctly and 2. continuing pulling hard on pockets and crimps before muscles and tendons strength is developed, that it won't do any good.

[Mark O'Neal]

Just a quick update. I took a week off. And then yesterday I taped up my middle fingers (just in case), warmed up, and hit the gym. I stuck to easy routes and tried to minimize gripping hard. A couple of times a had a little pain but quickly let go and reset. Felt pretty good afterwards and today as well. I think I'm on the probably on the right track. Thanks for the advice. BTW I found a nice article from Rock & Ice that seems to be pertinent to my problem.

 

http://www.athlon.com.au/articles/r&i_bumwraps-thetruth.pdf

 

[sirwoofalot]

Mark, thanks for the question. I had a bum left hand ring finger and middle finger. I had to just stop for two weeks. I went back to the gym yesterday, and it felt very much better, but at my age I loose strength, and gain weight very fast.

[archenemy]

Right there with you. The hard part is the mental anguish that seems to come with that. And the digits don't seem to heal so quickly.