UKC

Hey guys, just a quick question to anyone who's had experience with finger injuries in the past.

Nearly a year ago I was doing pullups on my ring finger and pinkie on a fingerboard, and (quelle surprise) my right hand gave a loud pop and became painful.

I rested it for a week and a half or so, but after that it felt more or less ok. A month or so ago I started to become aware of a relatively large lump of hard tissue in my palm below where the injury occured. It's near the center of my palm.

I am still climbing relatively strongly, as strong as when the injury ocurred (but no stronger ), however there is a slight weakness where I was injured. I always figured that it takes time to recover, and that it was normal, but this lump has me worried. I never went to the doctor about it or had a scan or anything like that, since I didn't feel it was very serious. I just massaged it a bit and did a bit of rehab stress ball squishing.


Has anyone had any experience of this kind of thing before? I am trying to book a doctor's appointment asap, but as a student living away from home, I thought it wouldn't do any harm to pick the brains of people who have quite possibly had the same occur.

Cheers.

In reply to myrddinmuse:

possibly http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Dupuytrens-contracture/Pages/Introduction.aspx

In reply to myrddinmuse:

Dupuytrens contracture does seem likely. I have the start of it on one of my hands, but it doesn't seem to have done much for the past four years or so - one tendon in my palm stands a little proud.

In reply to myrddinmuse:
I've three small hard lumps, two on right palm and one on left, and my GP diagnosed Dupuytrens contracture after the first one. No reason to think it is not linked to this for all three (two are on the same tendon) and I just ignore* the best I can. The original and now the largest is slightly painful climbing directly on say jugs, etc., others only if pressed direct on them. Not intending to do anything about them in the foreseeable future.

* the only thing I do is regular stretching of the tendons and so far this has stopped the typical contraction worsening except for a slight bend on the affected fingers.

In reply to Climbing Pieman:

That's sort of what I've come to think as well... However, I read it mostly occurs to older people, 50s to 60s, and I'm barely 20 years old..!

If this is gonna effect my climbign/general dexterity for the rest of my life that would *really* suck.

In reply to myrddinmuse:

It's not the end of the world:

http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=1312

In reply to myrddinmuse:

I have this said lump having performed the exact same type of exercise. I was informed said lump is liquid leached out of the tendon sheath when the injury was sustained and that since the body has absorbed the water from this back into the rest of the body leaving the insoluble protein and scar tissue as the lump.

Keep on top of stretching, avoid loading the ring and pinkie with the middle and index finger aggressively curled under (as if clenching a fist), took about 3 months to stop feeling tweaky but the lump has stayed with me ever since. The only downside to the lump is it builds a callous which makes any pressing painful. Simply sanding the callous back regularly has stopped this from occurring.

Dupuytrens as far as I understand it is caused by an underlying genetic trait, as such onset would be unlikely to coincide with an accute injury.

In reply to myrddinmuse:

If it's any consolation I've had a few such lumps in my palm since my 20s and they've never caused me any grief to speak of. I did have a ring finger injury in my early 20s too, although I've never thought to connect the two events before, so maybe the lumps you're seeing now resulted from the injury and aren't an indication of a progressively worsening condition. Worth a hope, anyway.

In reply to john arran:

I've had similar lumps since quite a young age also which since have barely if at all changed. Used to climb a lot of trees as a kid. My dad did get quite bad dupuytrens contracture in his old age though which they have since operated on.

Cheers guys! Really appreciate the advice, it's reassuring to know that it's not that freakish! Got an appointment with the doc on Monday!

Eben.

just had something similar sounding removed. Some kind of cyst, formed they think after a puncture wound I can't even recall. Went through the same worries though. One month off climbing while it heals

In reply to myrddinmuse:

FWIW and I must stress I'm no medical expert, but I don't think the injury and possible Dupuytren's (if it is indeed that) are connected, more likely it's simply coincidence. I think you just popped a pulley originally, recuperated a bit and now you've maybe got early onset Dupuytren's.

I've had Dupuytren's in both hands now for a dozen years or so and it hasn't worsened significantly for the bulk of that time.

In reply to myrddinmuse:

Went to the doc today, and he was a little dismissive. Told me to flatten my hand on a table, and said that I still had full mobility. Said it was probably scarring that is no big deal, and to come back if I started not being able to straighten my fingers while holding my hand flat on a table.

I also sent some pictures to a friend's mom who's a doctor, and she said it's probably a 'ganglion', which should be harmless.

In reply to myrddinmuse:
I have had in both hands for about 15 years. Currently 38. Seems to have stabilised over the last 5 years. Still have full mobility your hands. Lumps on palm below index finger on left hand and ring and pinky on fight hand.

Came on around the time I took a supplement (can't actually remember what it was), and probably not connected, but did come across something linking the two on the internet (search and ye will find!).

Anyway I found massage made it worse.

I used to get symptoms only at night, when I would wake up with hands in spasm (I.e. fists that would not open!) This would normally be after fierce convert climbing sessions.

Sounds bad, and was pretty scary when first happened. But very rare now. Seems to happen after a night on the booze, again could be coincidental, and I hardly drink anyway.

But I rarely think about it now. Certainly not stopped me climbing. Still bouldering hard, up to 4 sessions a week and few symptoms.

Basically it is not too bad. Loads of people have it. Only a few extreme cases appear in Google searches. I reckon these are very rare.

I looked at operation stuff, about 10 years ago, but definitely glad I didn't bother. I expected a much worse progression of the symptoms.