UKC

I've recently had a few niggles in my hand since upping my training intensity.

Upon visiting my physio it turns out I've strained my flexor tendon, inflamed my thumb joint and strained two A2 pulleys all on one hand!

Wondering if anyone else has had a similar build up of injuries and what kind I routes I can get away with this weekend?

Basically slabs or steep cracks -what will aggravate it the least??

Thanks

In reply to ashtond6:

Ever get the feeling that your body is trying to tell you something? How about giving it a rest for a while?

In reply to ashtond6:

Rest you fool!

In reply to JayPee630:

Dude - and you've been in the boulder room twice this week! Maybe some rest might be good? You'll come back stronger and psyched to hell. Just be a belay bitch and enjoy being out in the sun. It could be worse, I've gotta work all weekend now.

Kelvin

In reply to ashtond6:

been resting it (before this week) and got no better!

Anyone had any experience of these injuries and time to heal whilst using them lightly?

@ K - are you not coming either day now?!??!

In reply to ashtond6:

Please may I hijack this thread to moan about (or seek advice on) a hand injury of my own?

I fell snowboarding about a month ago and landed (fairly gently) on the points of extended fingers. It hurt a bit at the time, but not enough to suggest broken bones and then swelled quite badly for about a week. I didn’t go to the doc at the time though I did wave it in front of my brother in law, who is an A&E consultant, and he didn’t seem concerned.

Now, a month later, the swelling is mostly gone (still a wee bit at the 1st knuckle) but it is still very stiff, slow and clumsy. I can’t make a fist, type quickly or accurAtely or grip strongly. Climbing is right out.

Has anyone had anything similar, and did it clear up on its own?

In reply to ashtond6:


How long for?

In reply to ashtond6:

I injured an A2 pulley back in October. It was still swelling up after a climbing session 3 months later and was painful on certain holds. By 4 months it was fine.

In reply to tommyb:

Erm, you never saw a doctor? But you made the judgement (with no medical training) that it wasn't broken...?

In reply to tlm:

been bothering me for 6 weeks now,
during this time i have been doing easy laps on easier routes indoors once a week & one mid to high intensity outdoor trad session per week

I am now going to do just one mid intensity trad session each week avoiding steep crimps and walls and zero indoors

The reason im asking is i've heard very mixed opinions on the healing process of A2s and the flexor tendon - some say complete rest till better & others say you need to do some climbing to speed it up as the extra blood flow and activity helps greately

In reply to ashtond6:


Whose opinions?

In reply to JayPee630:

Erm, where did I say that it was I that made the judgement (or that I have no medical traing)...?

Actually, I apreciate that it could have been broken but the relatively minor pain and swelling at the time made soft tissue injury seem more likely. It isn't causing me any real problems at the moment (just restricting my climbing and whistle playing) so I think I'll leave it for a bit and see what happens. I was hoping someone might have had similar injuries and would be able to share their experience.

In reply to tommyb:
Fair enough but you did say you didn't see a doc, and it did read like you hurt yourself, didn't see anyone about it, and are now moaning that it isn't right! I think the number of posts on here asking for medical advice is kinda comic/stupid!

In reply to ashtond6:





OK, this is ridiculous; so you're going to do some "mid intensity" sessions. Get real. If you want this hand to heal properly, give it some rest. There are other ways of increasing the blood flow. Try a saune. Increased activity...you use your hands all day. Contuinue to do the same. You're 24 so it's fair enough if you're like a bull in a china shop, but take it from people older and wiser: rest for at least 6 weeks, no climbing, do the physio recommended exercises and then take it up again in May. If you carry on with your "mid intensity trad sessions" (what on earth does that actyually mean anyway?0 you will f*ck your hand up to the point where you can't climb for months/years/ever. Calm down and take it easy.

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Fair points, you are right really. I'm just keen, and desperate to fix it

just trying to see if anyone thinks climbing some easier stuff will be a problem & at least get me out

To me mid intensity is not climbing 10+ routes in a day at a steep crag
figured i maybe able to get away with slabs!

In reply to ashtond6: The thing is, climbing at any level will probably cause more problems than it will solve. You're keen which is great, but use the time off to get fitter and lighter. That will help anyway, and mean you strain your hand less when you do get back. It goes without saying (does it?!) that you must avoid walls at all costs until October!

In reply to ashtond6:

Fist or wide hand cracks, or padding up holdless slabs.

CB

In reply to ashtond6:

The reason we're all telling you to rest is that doing anything else isn't going to help. IMHO it's not possible to climb without using an injured pulley or tendon - the route always has other ideas. Leave it unitil you think it's better and then leave it some more. Never be tempted by a passing door frame.

In reply to Frank the Husky:


http://onlineclimbingcoach.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/injuries-problem-with-lay...

In reply to ashtond6:


That's the link i read on keeping using it, thanks pagan. Frank your comments are very helpful too

In reply to ashtond6:

When I did my fingers last year, I kept doing EASY stuff. Half crimps didn't hurt and open hand did and I avoided slopers etc but this was indoors and much easier to control. FWIW having had to recover from numerous injuries over the years, I've found total rest rarely works and there is evidence out there to show that light usage can make for a stronger repair. Worth searching through UKB threads for links to that sort of stuff if you find nothing easily on google.

Life's got in the way this weekend chap and can't manage the Peak but my ankles will thank me for it!

In reply to ashtond6:

I think your hand is telling you that you're overdoing things a bit

In reply to Frank the Husky:

Actually research indicates that you should rest until swelling goes down- say for ten days but that gentle and open handed only climbing increases the rate of recovery and leads to a stronger recovery overall.

The tricky thing is being disciplined enough to use no crimps and what I've said only applies if the op has no pain on climbing open handed