UKC

Hi everyone, it's my first topic here and i'm writing because i'm desperate right now...i injured myself 1 year ago on a really hard crimping training session. The next morning i had the feel like when i was crimping my finger would crack (at the dip point) and both full and half crimp produced a sharp pain on the dorsal side of the pip joint right where the joint is. I've been climbing on it since it was not something really debilitating but 3 months ago i had to take a stop because i wanted to climb as i used to. Now after 3 and a half month of total rest i can say that it's really better. I don't have anymore the sensatiom that my finger is going to crack when crimping (so my dip is kind of healed) but the pip pain hasn't all gone away...i don't have pain while crimping but really just after if i start to flex and extend the finger...anyone who could give me any suggestions? I'm really desperate atm
(I did MRI---> pip synovitis, dip is too little to see. XRay where ok on december.)
I also have to say that i did not do any rehab after the 3 and a half months and i'm not climbing just testing it in the daily life...i don't know if climbing easy could really help or could damage since it's disturbing even in everyday life.

In reply to Giacbold:

Doesn't sound like a classic pulley injury.

Dave MacLoed's book is useful for this, from what I remember he says that progressive loading of most injuries is better for rehabilitation than total rest, although there are many caveats and I'm not a doctor! There is a bit in it about joint capsule injuries I think, maybe someone with a better memory can help.

When I partially tore my A2 pulley I did loads of easy open handed climbing to load it, but avoided crimping for a couple of months. I can now pull harder on it than I used to be able to before it tore.

In reply to Giacbold:

Doctor here (Intensive Care so finger injuries not my thing). The best advice would be to pay to see a hand physio who specialises in climbing injuries.

In reply to Giacbold:

I'd speak to a hand therapist / occupational therapist who specialises in hand injuries
Mike

In reply to mhughes:

Thank you all for your kind answers. Anyway i already saw a few hand specialists and a hand physio. They say i have synovitis and something at the oblique retinacular ligament...or i should say i had because i think the ligament is now ok but it still hurts exactly like some videos you can find about synovitis in climbers. They say i should climb on it but it has been 1 year since i could crimp something safely...now i don't crimp and started easy open hand climb but i don't know if it will go away

In reply to Giacbold:
This sounds frustrating!

If I was you would do lots of eccentric exercises with standard elastic bands. (Google it). Keep that joint mobile. Sometimes pain can lingure on well after an injury has healed.
Try hot and cold treatment after the exercises, a gentle rubbing with ice cub on the sore area combined with alternating it with holding a mug of very hot water works well. Try and achieve extremes in temperatures as much as you can handle.
Before bed rub volterol gel on the joint but don't massage it.

As to climbing, I would keep on with easy stuff. It will help the process and keep you happy, just make sure you are always warmed up well.
Don't do any manipulation of the joint before climbing, do any treatment well after climbing .

All the best

In reply to Giacbold:

I suffered (what sounds) a very similar injury last year to my ring finger. The injury occurred when at full arm extension on two side pull crimps. While I had no pain crimping, extending the finger after crimping or even unforced flexing would result in a 'cracking or popping' noise (sometimes multiple) on the DIP side of the PIP. Sarah at the Castle diagnosed torn collateral ligaments to either side of the PIP. While I took a full 3 months off climbing (for other reasons), it really only properly started getting better when I started climbing again (gently) - getting it moving really seems to be the key, along with progressive loading and 're-training' to use an open-handed grip instead of crimping.

Good luck with the recovery and, if you're London based I can't recommend Sarah at the Castle enough.

Tom