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FriendOfMonoPockets
Feb 26, 2011, 4:56 PM
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Alright so about 7 months ago I started feeling joint pain in the top knuckle (joint nearest to the finger nail) of my middle finger, but it was such that it was a very faint pain and after I warmed up I couldn't feel it at all. After about 3 months of this it evolved into pain even after I was warmed up, so I tried taking time off, but being the impatient kid I am I didn't take sufficient rest and ended up climbing once every 2 weeks and re-injuring it every time. This went on for about the entire summer until it basically went away a bit. So I took about a month off and the pain subsided back to not hurting after I warmed up, but then I would say a month or so ago I re-injured it again, but now it seems like a different injury in the same finger, almost like a tendon injury in the same area. So I took 2 weeks off again and I tried to climb on it a week ago, but I went in and could still feel the pain a bit after I started climbing for an hour so I stopped. So now I'm extremely frustrated, I want to climb again and I've been taking Omega 3 and Glucosamine pills religiously. I plan on seeing a hand or finger specialist on it soon, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? I know this is a long and contrived story so its hard to understand, but honestly I'm feeling pretty pissed and it seems like it'll never go away. Edit: Also is there any other home therapy I can do to fast forward the healing process?
(This post was edited by FriendOfMonoPockets on Feb 26, 2011, 5:02 PM)
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enigma
Feb 27, 2011, 1:24 AM
Post #2 of 14
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FriendOfMonoPockets wrote: Alright so about 7 months ago I started feeling joint pain in the top knuckle (joint nearest to the finger nail) of my middle finger, but it was such that it was a very faint pain and after I warmed up I couldn't feel it at all. After about 3 months of this it evolved into pain even after I was warmed up, so I tried taking time off, but being the impatient kid I am I didn't take sufficient rest and ended up climbing once every 2 weeks and re-injuring it every time. This went on for about the entire summer until it basically went away a bit. So I took about a month off and the pain subsided back to not hurting after I warmed up, but then I would say a month or so ago I re-injured it again, but now it seems like a different injury in the same finger, almost like a tendon injury in the same area. So I took 2 weeks off again and I tried to climb on it a week ago, but I went in and could still feel the pain a bit after I started climbing for an hour so I stopped. So now I'm extremely frustrated, I want to climb again and I've been taking Omega 3 and Glucosamine pills religiously. I plan on seeing a hand or finger specialist on it soon, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? I know this is a long and contrived story so its hard to understand, but honestly I'm feeling pretty pissed and it seems like it'll never go away. Edit: Also is there any other home therapy I can do to fast forward the healing process? First of all those glucosamine pills, were recently tested in Bern Switzerland in a controlled study which found them not to help. So basically people have wasted millions or maybe billions of dollars on these placebo like tablets. You might want to have a doctor take a look at your finger to determine if it is damaged. I'm not sure exactly how they determine this, however I certainly would explore a sports medicine doctor. Nevertheless, pain is subjective, You might be gripping using that finger more than the others,or it may in fact have some damage, If you are in so much pain that it is impossible to climb then don't climb. If you can get it checked out by a doctor, and their findings are your finger is okay then I would go back to the gym and climb easier routes or boulder problems. I think the only home therapy you might try would be arnica gel or tablets by Boiron. They do help they are homeopathic so they are still not widely accepted by the medical community. However I have used the gel on bruises and literally the black and blue goes away overnight sometimes. The pills are made by a french company called Borion. Its very difficult to tell if they are useful. Since homeopathic medicine, is an area that depends on your own body healing itself essentially. Its not as obvious as chemicals . Though has no side effects. I don't believe it can harm you either. You could try to find a homeopathic doctor and also a sports medicine doctor and listen to their diagnosis and make a intelligent decision based on both of their expertise. Rest, or maybe heat might work to lessen the pain, but I don't know for sure. Best to get expert advice and take it easy . Once the finger is feeling better do easier routes. Good Luck
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olympicmtnboy
Feb 27, 2011, 1:35 AM
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Sounds like it's time to see a specialist. Unfortunately soft tissue injuries can heal very slowly, even slower than if you broke a bone. In your fingers it's hard to actually rest something well too. A month off may not have been enough (and did you totally rest your hand for that month?). I had some vague shoulder injury that was helped by a variety of things like you've tried, but ultimately it took a couple of months of no climbing at all to finally go away and not come back. After the break you also need to very slowly get back into it and rebuild your foundation. It's also extremely easy to get excited at the end of your healing period and hit things to hard too fast and end up reinjured needing an even longer break to recover. But you will recover eventually and climb harder for letting things really heal!
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cacalderon
Feb 27, 2011, 1:53 AM
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like the other posts suggested.. see a doctor.. the injury sounds real, at least 3 months out.. good luck.
(This post was edited by cacalderon on Feb 27, 2011, 1:57 AM)
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onceahardman
Feb 27, 2011, 3:09 AM
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You may be a "FriendofMonoPockets" but maybe they aren't a friend of yours. Simply stated, the tensile forces you have applied to the restraints of your finger exceed the tensile strength of the tissue itself. You need rest from climbing, but you also should keep it moving to speed the process as much as possible. Even so, it can be a year to heal a chronic finger injury, and the healing is not always complete. Permanent injuries sometimes occur. I don't understand how people who believe in "holistic medicine" believe that substances ingested into their bodies are somehow not composed of "chemicals"...Like the laws of chemistry are suspended if you call a substance "holistic", For crying out loud!
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onceahardman
Feb 27, 2011, 3:15 AM
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enigma wrote: FriendOfMonoPockets wrote: Alright so about 7 months ago I started feeling joint pain in the top knuckle (joint nearest to the finger nail) of my middle finger, but it was such that it was a very faint pain and after I warmed up I couldn't feel it at all. After about 3 months of this it evolved into pain even after I was warmed up, so I tried taking time off, but being the impatient kid I am I didn't take sufficient rest and ended up climbing once every 2 weeks and re-injuring it every time. This went on for about the entire summer until it basically went away a bit. So I took about a month off and the pain subsided back to not hurting after I warmed up, but then I would say a month or so ago I re-injured it again, but now it seems like a different injury in the same finger, almost like a tendon injury in the same area. So I took 2 weeks off again and I tried to climb on it a week ago, but I went in and could still feel the pain a bit after I started climbing for an hour so I stopped. So now I'm extremely frustrated, I want to climb again and I've been taking Omega 3 and Glucosamine pills religiously. I plan on seeing a hand or finger specialist on it soon, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? I know this is a long and contrived story so its hard to understand, but honestly I'm feeling pretty pissed and it seems like it'll never go away. Edit: Also is there any other home therapy I can do to fast forward the healing process? First of all those glucosamine pills, were recently tested in Bern Switzerland in a controlled study which found them not to help. So basically people have wasted millions or maybe billions of dollars on these placebo like tablets. You might want to have a doctor take a look at your finger to determine if it is damaged. I'm not sure exactly how they determine this, however I certainly would explore a sports medicine doctor. Nevertheless, pain is subjective, You might be gripping using that finger more than the others,or it may in fact have some damage, If you are in so much pain that it is impossible to climb then don't climb. If you can get it checked out by a doctor, and their findings are your finger is okay then I would go back to the gym and climb easier routes or boulder problems. I think the only home therapy you might try would be arnica gel or tablets by Boiron. They do help they are homeopathic so they are still not widely accepted by the medical community. However I have used the gel on bruises and literally the black and blue goes away overnight sometimes. The pills are made by a french company called Borion. Its very difficult to tell if they are useful. Since homeopathic medicine, is an area that depends on your own body healing itself essentially. Its not as obvious as chemicals . Though has no side effects. I don't believe it can harm you either. You could try to find a homeopathic doctor and also a sports medicine doctor and listen to their diagnosis and make a intelligent decision based on both of their expertise. Rest, or maybe heat might work to lessen the pain, but I don't know for sure. Best to get expert advice and take it easy . Once the finger is feeling better do easier routes. Good Luck I have an idea for a case study. Next time, put the arnica gel on only 1/2 the bruise, label it with a sharpie, and take pictures. Next morning, take more pictures and post them here. See if the arnica really clears the bruise faster. I honestly hope it does, but I doubt it. The rest of your post is quoted for pesterity. (Freudian Slip intended)
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enigma
Feb 27, 2011, 11:26 AM
Post #7 of 14
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Registered: May 19, 2002
Posts: 2279
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onceahardman wrote: enigma wrote: FriendOfMonoPockets wrote: Alright so about 7 months ago I started feeling joint pain in the top knuckle (joint nearest to the finger nail) of my middle finger, but it was such that it was a very faint pain and after I warmed up I couldn't feel it at all. After about 3 months of this it evolved into pain even after I was warmed up, so I tried taking time off, but being the impatient kid I am I didn't take sufficient rest and ended up climbing once every 2 weeks and re-injuring it every time. This went on for about the entire summer until it basically went away a bit. So I took about a month off and the pain subsided back to not hurting after I warmed up, but then I would say a month or so ago I re-injured it again, but now it seems like a different injury in the same finger, almost like a tendon injury in the same area. So I took 2 weeks off again and I tried to climb on it a week ago, but I went in and could still feel the pain a bit after I started climbing for an hour so I stopped. So now I'm extremely frustrated, I want to climb again and I've been taking Omega 3 and Glucosamine pills religiously. I plan on seeing a hand or finger specialist on it soon, but does anyone have any idea what this could be? I know this is a long and contrived story so its hard to understand, but honestly I'm feeling pretty pissed and it seems like it'll never go away. Edit: Also is there any other home therapy I can do to fast forward the healing process? First of all those glucosamine pills, were recently tested in Bern Switzerland in a controlled study which found them not to help. So basically people have wasted millions or maybe billions of dollars on these placebo like tablets. You might want to have a doctor take a look at your finger to determine if it is damaged. I'm not sure exactly how they determine this, however I certainly would explore a sports medicine doctor. Nevertheless, pain is subjective, You might be gripping using that finger more than the others,or it may in fact have some damage, If you are in so much pain that it is impossible to climb then don't climb. If you can get it checked out by a doctor, and their findings are your finger is okay then I would go back to the gym and climb easier routes or boulder problems. I think the only home therapy you might try would be arnica gel or tablets by Boiron. They do help they are homeopathic so they are still not widely accepted by the medical community. However I have used the gel on bruises and literally the black and blue goes away overnight sometimes. The pills are made by a french company called Borion. Its very difficult to tell if they are useful. Since homeopathic medicine, is an area that depends on your own body healing itself essentially. Its not as obvious as chemicals . Though has no side effects. I don't believe it can harm you either. You could try to find a homeopathic doctor and also a sports medicine doctor and listen to their diagnosis and make a intelligent decision based on both of their expertise. Rest, or maybe heat might work to lessen the pain, but I don't know for sure. Best to get expert advice and take it easy . Once the finger is feeling better do easier routes. Good Luck I have an idea for a case study. Next time, put the arnica gel on only 1/2 the bruise, label it with a sharpie, and take pictures. Next morning, take more pictures and post them here. See if the arnica really clears the bruise faster. I honestly hope it does, but I doubt it. The rest of your post is quoted for pesterity. (Freudian Slip intended) Well my cousin is a plastic surgeon and instructs his patients to take arnica prior to any cosmetic procedures, Alright I try the sharpie idea, but I've had an entire black and blue bruise disappear overnight or sometimes 2 nights especially when I take they arnica boiron 30c along with it. Have you ever tried it? I presume you don't believe in any homeopathic medicine. What about acupuncture? I tell you what if I do this and it works, will send me a present? My choice of course.
(This post was edited by enigma on Feb 27, 2011, 11:28 AM)
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onceahardman
Feb 27, 2011, 12:35 PM
Post #8 of 14
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In reply to: I tell you what if I do this and it works, will send me a present? What are you, like 7 years old or something? Even my 9 year old son wouldn't ask such a question. Isn't it enough to just KNOW whether something works or not? Isn't that it's own reward? You need a present, little boy? Here you go..."No more effective than placebo": http://archsurg.ama-assn.org/...nt/full/133/11/1187) "No effect on perioperative pain and bruising beyond placebo": http://jrsm.rsmjournals.com/...ent/abstract/96/2/60
(This post was edited by onceahardman on Feb 27, 2011, 12:52 PM)
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johnwesely
Feb 27, 2011, 1:52 PM
Post #9 of 14
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Registered: Jun 13, 2006
Posts: 5360
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Enigma, I have some magic water I would like to sell you.
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scotchie
Feb 27, 2011, 3:56 PM
Post #10 of 14
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Registered: Jul 31, 2004
Posts: 261
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Use the following resources: 1. http://www.climbinginjuries.com/page/fingers 2. http://www.amazon.com/...298820254&sr=8-1 I would first seek a sports med doctor who doesn't perform surgeries. In my opinion, many surgeons have a bias toward surgery, which could result in a recommendation for surgery even if it isn't strictly necessary for your recovery. I think rest, icing, and physical therapy are probably your best options. In some cases surgery is necessary. Climbing vs. not climbing aren't your only 2 options. There is a gradual increase in intensity of movement from opening-and-closing your hand with no resistance, to theraputty, to climbing easy routes with huge holds, to climbing while taped. The rule of thumb is that if it hurts, then don't do it. Back off to an easier level of intensity until you don't feel any pain. In the long run, you will most likely need to take up a different style of climbing, mr. friend of mono pockets, unless you want to be constantly injured. Don't over-train. Follow a training pyramid if you are climbing more than a couple times a week. Mix in a different style of climbing that isn't so rough on your fingers. I have lots of other suggestions, but they are already covered in the 2 links above.
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MidnightR
Feb 27, 2011, 4:57 PM
Post #11 of 14
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Registered: Jul 16, 2010
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Sceptics I would suggest you look up the recent work of Luc Montagnier. I'm not a supporter of Homoeopathy either but it does seem to work for some people so I don't see it as entirely useless. I don't think we understand everything that much is for sure.
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johnwesely
Feb 27, 2011, 6:12 PM
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MidnightR wrote: Sceptics I would suggest you look up the recent work of Luc Montagnier. I'm not a supporter of Homoeopathy either but it does seem to work for some people so I don't see it as entirely useless. I don't think we understand everything that much is for sure. It is entirely useless.
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onceahardman
Feb 27, 2011, 8:21 PM
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MidnightR wrote: Sceptics I would suggest you look up the recent work of Luc Montagnier. I'm not a supporter of Homoeopathy either but it does seem to work for some people so I don't see it as entirely useless. I don't think we understand everything that much is for sure. Please show some supporting literature. While I tend toward being skeptical, I am open-minded, and would love to have a safe, OTC chemical that could help. That would be just great. Keep in mind, the placebo effect is real.. Some people (30% or so) get better with "sham" treatment, presumably because they believe the treatment to be real. An effect beyond placebo needs to be demonstrated. Otherwise, it is unethical to CHARGE MONEY for a product which is no better than placebo, even though "it helps some people." To say, "we don't know everything", is a strawman. It is up to the person making claims to prove them. It is not up to me to disprove them. Burden of proof lies with the person making claims.
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FriendOfMonoPockets
Feb 27, 2011, 11:26 PM
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Thanks for all the help guys. I think I'm going to start massaging it maybe twice a day, and when i go back to climbing I'll be taking it easy for awhile to ease the finger back into the swing of things. Also thanks for the link to climbing injuries website, that was helpful
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