UKC

Recently, I have been having sharp pains in the last joints of my fingers, especially the index and middle finger. I feel the pain when either crimping (half, full or open) or pinching holds, slopers are the only holds where it rarely happens.

I initially thought it to be temporary, but after taking a few days off, I came back and the pain was the same.
I did a few searches and it only came back with cures for arthritis (which I doubt it is)

Could someone enlighten me as to what this is? and how I could fix this.

Cheers!

On a semi-separate note; my fingers curve in different directions?? is this normal? my index and mid finger (right hand) curve right, while my pinky and ring finger curve to the left... D:

maybe I'm just a hypochondriac...

In reply to Rhapsody:
Try searching for "pully injuries"

In reply to andypg: Yeah, I know of pulley injuries, not that I'm a doctor or anything, but I'm pretty sure its in the actual joint... or maybe that's just what it feels like? but thanks! I will check it out further.

In reply to Rhapsody:

My end joints have been painful for a year now but I am 53 with a known arthritic illness of which this might be a symptom.

Icing your fingers and Ibuprophen (if your stomach can take it) should help a bit. Glucosamine and fish oil supplements are also very good. However the best thing you can do is stay off crimpy climbing and learn to climb open handed much more.

I have switched my ambitions to trad because E2/3 is way more joint friendly than f7a/7b.

In reply to Rhapsody: I've been having very similar problems, largely due to a heavy winter pushing my grade from 6b to 7a/b.
The best 'help' I've found is contrast baths, excellent article:
http://pebbleharvester.com/?s=contrast+baths&submit=Search
The other big improvement has come from constantly stretching & massaging the fingers in a linear method & trying to avoid ibuprofen (unless they ache so much I can't sleep) as it masks the pain/lack of. Warning: your friends will start to call you Mr Burns.
hth,
Kelv

In reply to Rhapsody: You're unlikely to be looking in the right place for a reliable answer. A good hand surgeon is who you need to see. Anything else is just messing about.

There's not even close to enough info in your description to have any idea what's wrong. For instance are you a teenager with a growth plate fracture, an older gentleman with some osteoarthritis or just suffering from the usual synovitis that most of us who abuse small holds suffer from when we suddenly decide to start climbing a bit more. Or the countless other possibilities, some of which are nasty.

Rest, a proper training progression and restoration of proper joint mechanics with the right stretches will sort out most synovitis. But deformed fingers sound a bit more serious than that. Do yourself a favour and sit down in front of a professional. If you are a teenage climber with permanent loss of function on the table if you ignore a growth plate injury, do it tomorrow, not next week.

Just as btw, the recent reviews have concluded that there is no evidence for any effects of Glucosamine use on joints (apart from placebo effect of course!). Likewise with contrast baths.