Welcome to the Climbing Injuries Forumshttp://climbinginjuries.com/forums/index.phpWed, 22 Feb 2012 20:03:57 -0600 Phorum 5.2.9a http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1076,1076#msg-1076 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1076,1076#msg-1076
I climbed infrequently over the next few months, but the finger continued to bother me--just not very much. About two months ago the main started to spread down my forearm. At first it was only while doing strenuous activity like gripping a bar to do pull ups. When I started school again a few weeks ago the pain got worse rapidly, and for the past 2 weeks it has hurt even to type. My ring finger hurts only a little bit now, but when I use it my forearm from my wrist all the way to the inside of my elbow feels really irritated. . In an attempt to let it heal I no longer use my right hand unless absolutely necessary, and I am icing, using nsaids, and doing the exercises indicated for golfers elbow. Also, I am not climbing at all, nor have I been in the past two months.

I have tried searching old posts, but I am still having a hard time knowing if I have golfer's elbow, flexor unit strain, pulley tendon strain, or all three. The pain in my finger has always been somewhat minimal with no swelling or tenderness to the touch. The pain in my forearm and elbow, however, is now interfering significantly with daily activities.

Any help appreciated,

Caleb]]> cjohnson2 FingersSun, 12 Feb 2012 19:17:30 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1075,1075#msg-1075 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1075,1075#msg-1075
About six weeks ago I noticed that I had some pain at the base of my left middle finger along the side of it that runs against my ring finger. At the time I had been climbing three or four days a week and had definitely been crimping more than usual. After some time with google I decided that I had probably injured a tendon pulley, although there was never any swelling and the finger only hurt when I pressed on it. There was no pain associated with climbing or decrease in range of motion. Really it was just that the pain from pressure was serious enough that when it didn't subside after several weeks I became concerned. After much deliberation I took ten days off from climbing. The pain stayed about the same and during that time I also noticed that if I press hard on the middle knuckle of the same finger there is another distinct pain on the edge near my ring finger. I'm having a hard time justifying the cost of an MRI. Any ideas about what this is or how to proceed?


Brandon]]> bsaimo FingersSat, 11 Feb 2012 17:56:07 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1074,1074#msg-1074 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1074,1074#msg-1074
Everyone tells me different, and sometimes conflicting things to do. I'm hoping that if I can figure out what exactly the problem is, then I'll know what to focus on for prevention. Right now I pretty much just ice, take ibuprofen, and rest for about a week. Looking at this site, its difficult to tell which symptoms I match. I feel pain on the outside of the elbow, and the inside to a lesser extent. Both elbows hurt, but the left more than the right. Squeezing an object doesn't really cause pain, but pushing the palms of my hands together does.

I appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks,
Paul]]> paul ElbowsSat, 04 Feb 2012 00:07:08 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1072,1072#msg-1072 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1072,1072#msg-1072
I am french and i am currently living in USA. I was still in France 4 months ago and felt pain in my shoulder after some climbing sessions.
After many tests, radio, echographie, then an arthroscope, i was diagnosed a labral tear : a Slap II or III, and a Bankart lesion.
Problem is that i was leaving three days after that to work one year in USA, so i was told to do shoulder work out to muscle the external and internal rotators, and the scapula stabilizers. I am doing the exercises almost one day out of 2, but i still feel some pain on the shoulder. I am working on a computer all the day and my position may not help.
I does not dare to try an easy climbing session. From what i know, only the surgery can fully heal that. Does the work out is useful in my case ?
I have a contract for one year in US and a french health insurance. This insurance would just accept to pay surgeries which are urgent and that must be done. Can my case be considered as urgent ?
What should i do to be able to climb again ?
Thanks

Thomas]]> Coolbord ShouldersFri, 03 Feb 2012 14:20:58 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1065,1065#msg-1065 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1065,1065#msg-1065
First I want to congratulate the creators of this website. This is exactly what I needed (I'm quite new to climbing).

I posting this here because the Elbow part of the main website is down and I'm not sure regarding the potential problem that I might have.

The description of my symptoms:
- I start to climb (even after warming up) and everything seems to be okay. As I continue to climb a feeling of tiredness and/or heaviness in my right (I'm right handed) arm (especially the upper part) starts to appear. My reaction is to pause a little longer, stretch it a little bit, shake it, and here I go again. The problem is that as I continue the feeling gets worse till a point where it hurts being extremely uncomfortable (I would say slight pain). The pain is more salient when I have to push myself against the wall in a way that I squeeze my bicep (my hand gets closer to the shoulder). I also have some significant discomfort

I'm not US and I have student health insurance but I don't know exactly how the health system works so I basically try not to go to the hospital - in the health services of the university they have no idea what this is... So my only option was the internet.

What I think this is:
- The first impression seems to be medial epicondylitis, however for what I've research online, for such cases the pain starts in the elbow and goes down towards the hand (includes some numbness and so on - I don't have that).
- My case is the opposite. My pain (discomfort) starts in the elbow but goes up till the middle of the inner part of the arm, somewhere in between the bicep and tricep. It seems to me that is related with the ulnar nerve (this might already be some kind of rationalization but my right arm ulnar nerve is much more salient than the left arm ulnar never - when placing my upper arm parallel to the ground and the lower arm 45º up, palms up, I can follow the ulnar nerve from the shoulder to the elbow in my right harm but I cannot do that in my left arm). Lately I've been thinking that I might had some decompensation between my bicep and tricep (the pronation and supination thing - I'm not from the medical/physical fields) but I'm kind of lost. I also thought it could be something like lower bicep tendinitis but bicep tendinitis usually gives pain in the shoulder and I do not have that.

Concluding remarks: I have done some heavy online search. I've learned a lot about muscles, tendons, medical terms and so on but I have no idea what my problem is, and more importantly, how to fix it. Any idea please?

Thank you very much.]]> pedromp ElbowsFri, 03 Feb 2012 15:46:28 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,1056,1056#msg-1056 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,1056,1056#msg-1056
I climbed at the weekend for about 45 minutes and whilst on the wall i had a shooting pain up my arm. I continued and it went away. I woke up the morning after and my entire tricep is bruised right down to my elbow.

I havent tried to climb again and i am not in any pain when i flex my arm. The only time it hurts is if i press on to the bruise.

Are the 2 related or am i worrying about nothing???

Thanks

John]]> johnpenn81 What else bothers you?Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:10:29 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1055,1055#msg-1055 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1055,1055#msg-1055
I climbed three times the other week, which is more than I usually do. I always warm up, but at the end of the week I noticed that my shoulder felt very tired and that it hurt to lift my arm over my head. I let it rest over a week with no change. I didn't ice it ( after reading this site I think I 'll start).

The specifics of my pain are:

It doesn't hurt if I keep my arm straight and raise it above my head, in fact I can do a full circle.
It doesn't hurt if I keep my arm straight and raise it out to the side (like jumping jacks)
It doesn't hurt to do push-ups
But it does hurt if I bend my elbow and raise it. It hurts quite a bit when I get to 90 degrees. I guess this would be the position you're in when
down on a hold.

So is it rotator cuff?

thanks]]> caitrin ShouldersTue, 14 Feb 2012 12:34:37 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1054,1054#msg-1054 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1054,1054#msg-1054http://i.imgur.com/RJZ1W.jpg and http://i.imgur.com/XIzlK.jpg . This white spots around my joint are calcifications. Currently I am waiting for the ultrasound diagnosis on 27th, cause my doctor wants to see the condition of tendons. Of course no climbing for me until he sees what is the exact problem. My finger is still hard to move (can't clench my fist as my ring finger only goes half way). Has anyone ever had some similar experiences? (Never heard of calcification from any climber before..)]]> bilivana FingersSun, 15 Jan 2012 04:44:03 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1053,1053#msg-1053 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1053,1053#msg-1053
I've developed a small bump right above my A3, where I'd imagine the C2 lies. The bump isn't visibles, but you can feel it when you press on my finger.

My hand feels great if I'm typing, extending, or closing my finger. I can even open hand crimps if I'm not putting my full weight on them. The pain comes in with full crimping, squeezing hard, putting full weight an open hand, or putting pressure on the bump (even on jugs!). The pain is localized to the bump, and to a lesser degree, the A4 area. The pain is dull, and is only moderate . . . it feels more like my body is screaming "DON'T DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING OR ELSE DIRE CONSEQUENCES!!!"

I'm not sure what's up . . . I've had a pulley injury before (same finger), but this just doesn't feel the same. I've got an appointment with a sports medicine doc in about a week . . but would really love to hear a climber's thoughts on what's going on. =/

Thanks to all,
Kyle

PS climbing on hiatus until I get a diagnosis from the sports doc. ='(]]> kybishop FingersFri, 27 Jan 2012 15:02:42 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1052,1052#msg-1052 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1052,1052#msg-1052
I have chronic pain in the joint between my hand and my pinky finger, which, I think, is the joint between the 5th metacarpal and proximal phalanx. The joint is swollen - noticeably larger than the same joint on my left hand - and tender to the touch.

Climbing and fingerboard training does not bring on pain immediately, but it is worse after I have been doing a lot of training. It's also worse after I've been doing a lot of typing and / or using my touchscreen phone.

Do you have any suggestions for how I can treat this? Due to an injury that was diagnosed as a slipped disc in my neck, I recently stopped climbing and doing all upper body training for around 2 months, and although this slightly improved the hand / finger joint pain, it never completely disappeared and is painful again now that my neck has healed and I am slowly starting to climb and train again.

I am 27, have been climbing for just over two years and am generally pretty fit as I do a range of other sports including mountain biking, running and surfing.

Thanks in advance for your help.

EDIT: I first noticed the joint being swollen and slightly painful last summer - around august I think.]]> carlin FingersFri, 27 Jan 2012 15:17:18 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,1051,1051#msg-1051 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,1051,1051#msg-1051
Next day I have no swelling, but a constant ache-y feeling and there is most definitely a sore spot right behind where I think the fibula attaches to the knee. Again... tendon zone. I definitely do not want to put any abnormal weight (side to side or rotation) on the knee.

If you have any info on diagnosis or treatment, that would be great. Thanks!

B]]> bdowney What else bothers you?Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:32:56 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1044,1044#msg-1044 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1044,1044#msg-1044The PIP joint on my ring finger of my left hand.
About 5 years ago i sustained a Grade 2 tear of my A2 pulley, since this time, i have had pain around the collateral ligaments of the PIP joint (The pulley is fully healed). This causes little problem during everyday life, however the area is pressure sensitive and i have a fair amount of reduction in Flexion of that joint. As i try to passively flex the joint, it feels as if the joint is about to seperate.
When i climb, it causes little affect in my ability and the pain is constant but not incapacitating. Post climbing session, my joint tends to swell and is more sensitive to pressure. It is especially sore in the morning, after an evenings session. The whole area is sore to flex. The main pain feel as if it at the lateral, distal portion of the proximal phalanx.

Any ideas and help is gratefully recieved. i have tried most therapies, icing, rest(6 months off), stretching and strengthing of the muscles, taping and immobilisation, None have solved the issue.

Wiggy]]> wiggy FingersMon, 02 Jan 2012 21:51:40 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1035,1035#msg-1035 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1035,1035#msg-1035
Searched the forum topics and such - do not see a similar issue, though some pics look alot like my hands.

Have been a higher end climber (13+) for 15 or so yrs - and during this time have had many of the injuries listed on this BB. About 8 yrs ago had a capsule issue middle joint, middle finger that resulted in a ganglion/cyst that never really went away. Both hands have arthritic looking middle fingers, but has not resulted in much pain, or loss in power, but definitely ROM (can't straighten just like Dai Koyamada).

Got shoulder surgery a few months back - decided to keep at least one hand active after 3 mths inactivity by doing one-armed openhand deadhangs on a very tough fingerboard (w very little warmup) - BAD IDEA. After a couple sessions, felt a sharp pain on top of the middle finger knuckle, followed by inflammation on top of the joint and stiffness. Hurts to climb easy stuff since then - even jugs cause a pain in the same place (top of middle knuckle just a few mm distal to joint).

Over a month in - still hurts in same place when climbing - despite icing and rest.

I mention the first injury as I suspect they are related but not 100%. Reading other posts - seems like a stress fracture, but the pain is very localized to a small area a couple mm in diameter (though the whole joint swells when I push it).

Any thoughts or advice based on the symptoms above? Many thx,]]> Marcus FingersMon, 09 Jan 2012 22:04:20 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1012,1012#msg-1012 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,1012,1012#msg-1012I'm considering to purchase The ultimate guide to rotator cuff training by Brian Schiff. [www.rotatorcufftraining.com] Has anyone got any experience with this particular training. Does it deliver the results it promises to deliver? I've been having problems with my right shoulder for the last 10 years. According to MRI I've got a moderate tendinopathy without raptures to the supraspinatus and infrspinatus and a bone spur on tuberculus greater . I've seen two orthopedists (unfortunately not specialized in shoulders) but their only advice was to stop climbing. I don't want to accept that. I experience dull pain sometimes during the day and especially in the morning when I wake up. The shoulder is also sensitive to cold. I can no longer wear sleeveless T-shirts.
I really hope to find a way to fix this so I can carry on climbing.

Will be grateful for any information on this.

Lubos]]> lubos ShouldersThu, 15 Dec 2011 14:52:21 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1010,1010#msg-1010 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,1010,1010#msg-1010
I have climbed twice since I noticed the strain and pain while flexing my arm, and the pain is somewhat more persistent now. It is extremely painful to the touch, just above the main bone on the outside of my elbow. I also have some mild strain/pain in my bicep on the inside of my elbow when I flex my arm.

If I flex my elbow and simply press down with my finger (i.e. sitting at my desk, press my fingers flat with some force onto my desk) I experience severe pain/soreness in my elbow. It feels "deep", like a bad bruise.

Any idea what this could be? Should I just power through it, or stop climbing for a while? Should I see a doctor?

Thank you!
Alex]]> AJo ElbowsThu, 08 Dec 2011 22:45:23 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1009,1009#msg-1009 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,1009,1009#msg-1009Thanks, Ryan]]> Ryan94 FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:55:45 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,998,998#msg-998 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,998,998#msg-998 robert743 ShouldersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:04:53 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,995,995#msg-995 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,995,995#msg-995
Oh, specifically, the pain is on the palm side/side on the wrist, just under the bone that sticks out (ulna?) below my little finger. It's my right hand, and I am right handed. The PT said it was probably the Cubital Tendon.

I climbed this weekend and it hurt a little, but I'm really afraid of climbing and hurting it more. How long do these things take to heal? I would have thought 5 solid months without climbing was a lot.

Thanks]]> jdsoccer11 What else bothers you?Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:01:30 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,994,994#msg-994 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,994,994#msg-994
Any ideas?

THANKS!]]> deamicl What else bothers you?Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:07:42 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,993,993#msg-993 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,993,993#msg-993
This however I am slowly recovering from, my main agony now comes from my "PiP " joint on my middle finger. If i flex my finger repeatedly i eventually get crunching sensation followed by a deep ache, this happens as I open my hand particularly hen my finger is perfectly straight.

15 minutes with a heat pad or warm water normally allow me to flex my hand 15 to 20 times before pain occurs but doing it cold causes pain after just flexing just three times. Discomfort can also occur while using my computer mouse and definitely occurs after a busy weekend working behind my cocktail bay squeezing limes, etc.

Any ideas?]]> lpjm610 FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:36:29 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,992,992#msg-992 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,992,992#msg-992 sarah_lizbeth ShouldersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:07:38 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,969,969#msg-969 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,969,969#msg-969
My index finger on my left hand is bothering me. I get pain in my knuckle (largest knuckle) when I clench a fist, also when I bend the finger back (as if I wanted to crack the knuckle). I didn't have any one event that started the pain (not to my memory at least) and I can still climb at my level fairly comfortably.

Here's the weird symptom, until recently I habitually cracked my knuckled (by putting my thumb on the knuckle and bending the finger back). The knuckle in question, however, won't crack any more.

Crimping doesn't hurt at all, open handed grips I can just barely feel it.

Cheers

Jim]]> JimboWizbo FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:53:05 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,968,968#msg-968 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,968,968#msg-968 krsdav FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:39:01 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,967,967#msg-967 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,967,967#msg-967
I have been climbing for roughly a year (one session per week). About 3 months ago I picked up an injury in my finger (a3 pulley i think. Hurts just above the middle joint in finger). I continued climbing and after about a month the pain completely disapeared, however I over did it and jumped on a hard route too soon then heard a small tear in the finger. After that I rested the finger for about 3 weeks and started getting back in to easy climbing and hand exercises. The problem is that the 2-3 days after easy climbing/exercises my finger has a dull ache in it (especially if I try to massage it).

When I climb, the Injury normally has a slight discomfort on the first/second climb and then feels completely normal until the next day. With normal use of the fingers for everyday use sometimes I even forget I have the injury (apart from the odd tweak once or twice in the day). It is only If make a firm clenched fist/climb/exercise it etc that it bothers me. Should I lay off for longer or carry on with the strengthening exercises/climbing?

Thanks]]> England1984 FingersSun, 18 Dec 2011 13:09:29 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,966,966#msg-966 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,966,966#msg-966I am a personal trainer who trains with weights 4 times a week and have recently become a bit hooked on climbing and bouldering!
I have been doing it for the past month but after a session on tuesday and during a session yesterday started to develop a very uncomfortable pain in both of my arms. It doesn't feel like a muscular pain, seems to be more tendon/ligament related. It happens after climbing for only a short while and the pain is not strictly elbow but just above, in-between my bicep and tricep muscle on both arms. It's a dull pain but incredibly uncomfortable! Pain relieving gel doesn't seem to have any effect.
Is this a common injury for new climbers or is it a case of too much too soon?

Any help would be very appreciated!
Thank you.]]> Ant_04 ElbowsTue, 18 Oct 2011 02:23:21 -0500 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,964,964#msg-964 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?1,964,964#msg-964
Physio seems happy enough to take my money and massage the area, "don't forget to make your next appointment" hmm

Any idea how long I'm likely to be out of service and any suggestions on useful exercises? got myself some Fisiocrem

thanks]]> iksander ElbowsWed, 21 Sep 2011 23:43:46 -0500 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,961,961#msg-961 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,961,961#msg-961 sb52191 FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:44:10 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,960,960#msg-960 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?2,960,960#msg-960
I just started bouldering about two months ago, and have been going about 2-3 times weekly. Last week, I had a 1 hour session and the next day did a pretty grueling 3 hour session. My fingers were sore the next day and the day after, but I didn't think too much of it.

Three mornings later, I woke up unable to bend the middle three fingers in my hand. They felt swollen, even though they didn't appear to be swollen. This went away after about an hour and a shower, and the fingers felt mostly fine for the rest of the day (some pain on tight clenching). The next three mornings have been the same. Last night I went and did a few V0's to get the blood moving and to get a better feel for injury. I felt like I had about half the strength,

Just curious if this is climbing fatigue, or something more serious.

Many thanks!]]> eyalcohen FingersSat, 17 Dec 2011 22:46:29 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,955,955#msg-955 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?8,955,955#msg-955
After packing out all of our gear, getting a beer and a burger we decided to go to the doctor because almost immediately I noticed that my asscheek was swelling. Doc said there were no broken bones, but I am going to have a hematoma there (which today, 9 days later, they drained 2 large syringes full of blood out of).

My question is, I have a trip planned for 2 weeks from now to Red Rock. Am I gonna be ok to climb? After they drained the blood out of the hematoma I'm feeling a lot better, but want to be feeling ok for climbing. Anything I can do to speed up the process? I have been consistently icing almost every other hour and figuring out ways to keep my ass elevated. Frankly, I'm pretty much going insane just sitting in the house like this.]]> mikeycrouch What else bothers you?Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:08:45 -0600 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,953,953#msg-953 http://climbinginjuries.com/forums/read.php?3,953,953#msg-953
1. Dull pain just above the shoulder joint, sometimes radiating down my arm
2. Weakness in the arm with particular climbing motions

I don't have any limitations on movement, and the pain is not constant. I've climbed, easy stuff, a few times, with no appreciable increase in pain.

What's going on here? My symptoms don't quite match with the list on the site. Am I dealing with a strained muscle? Or something worse?]]> bjanaszek ShouldersTue, 13 Sep 2011 12:53:23 -0500