UKC

Hello, not sure if this is the right forum for this one but here goes:

I have been climbing indoors for for 3+ years and have been outdoors for the first few times in the last month.

Somehow I have hurt my middle finger. It hurts most when doing something like unscrewing a screwcap bottle or grasping something odd shaped like a quilt or gear stick in a car.

I never felt it pop or strain or anything like that, but I was clinging on for dear life above my anchor several times outdoors - could this extra fear have made me grip harder and hurt my finger?

I have it wrapped in climbing tape which slightly alleviates the pain, I haven't climbed for about a week now.

Does anyone know what might have caused it and when I can expect it to get better?

Thanks in advanced!

In reply to elliot.baker:

I get this sometimes, nothing to be worried about I don't think, you would probably know if you had a pulley injury. Sounds like you have just slightly over used it, I'd make sure you rested it for a week or two and after that don't climb anything fingery, just pick out climbs with jugs or slopers for a few climbing sessions.
Saying that if it persists then there is a possibility you may have a minor pulley injury and this article will be off help.

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=6193

In reply to elliot.baker:

Be very careful with it. When I have pushed my fingers too hard before they have felt achey for months afterwards. Fingers take a long time to build up strength and heal compared with arm muscles so you need to account for this. Warm up your fingers before you climb, try and do some strength training in between climbing, but at the moment it will need a lot of rest - definitely no bodyweight holds.