UKC

Climber and physiotherapist Andrew McVittie shares some tips to keep your fingers healthy...

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The tip about minimals and the one about the hook grip to test recovery - brilliant! I'll definitely (try to remember to!) use those!!

Thanks!

I'm glad you found it useful.

Excellent article, thank you. Some very useful exercises that my partner and I intend building into our post climb routines. Given the amount of time we spend hammering our fingers at walls or bouldering during the winter, its vrry timely too. Nice one

Excellent.

It's too late for me, I fear, but I shall forward the article to nieces and nephews who've just started climbing.

I was struck by the paragraph that said we're now seeing the first generation of climbers who spent their growth years climbing hard in the gym, have continued to climb hard and we're yet to see how this will play out in late-middle age and old age...

Anyway, great article - I'll be putting a lot of the exercises mentioned to the test.

j

Thanks Ben. Let me know how you find them and if you keep them up.

Thanks. Let me know how they go for you.

Though we don't yet know my educated guess is that their fingers will adapt positively. They will look unusual to the general population, but will actually be suited to the demands placed on them.

This shouldn't mean they automatically develop issues when they get older, in fact it may be the opposite as their adapted, robust, fingers may well be less injury prone. We just don't know, yet....

As with all sports and growing bodies variety and not doing too much are the important factors. Don't worry about letting your nieces and nephews have fun at the wall.

Very useful and really clear, thanks  very much. I have pretty gnarled old fingers but this is still useful and relevant. 

Great article, thanks. I've been meaning to ask the UKC hive mind for some finger injury advice (is it ok to do it here?). I've had a pain in my index finger between the knuckle and first joint and now have a ridge which runs perpendicular to the length of the finger which still persists 5 months later. It doesn't hurt unless pressed on or after significant climbing. Has anyone else had this? Is this scar tissue after an A2 pulley tear? is there a way to repair it? massage? or not too worry.

Thanks

Really superb article, thank you. I have what I'm pretty sure is synovitis/capsulitis in my right hand ring finger. There is loads of writing about pulley injuries out there but it was really hard to get to the bottom of what was wrong with my hand, I wish this article had been available a couple of years ago! I would advise anyone who starts getting the symptoms described to rest up and do the exercises because it's really hard to get rid of the problem if you let it get too bad, as I have.

I'm afraid I can't help but if you don't get any responses here, start a new thread. You'll definitely get lots of quality responses IME.

Really helpful summary. Thanks!