Three weeks ago I rammed my third finger end-on into the rock whilst making a move.
It is still very weak and won't curl in-line with it's neighbours.
What's up Doc?
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jjobrien |
Practice medicine without a licence |
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Here's your chance to make a diagnosis and prescribe a treatment without any formal training or authority.
Three weeks ago I rammed my third finger end-on into the rock whilst making a move. It is still very weak and won't curl in-line with it's neighbours. What's up Doc?
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
Last Edited By: jjobrien 06/01/09 1:28 PM.
Edited 1 time.
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jjobrien |
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Please be advised: patient jjobrien will not be held liable to pay any fees to quacks or otherwise.
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
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MikeCarlotto |
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JJ whilst I haven't experience with that type injury and I wouldn't even call myself a quack but I do have experience with a slightly different finger
injury, my experience may or may not help......
I had a similar range of motion when I injured my middle and ring finger, they hurt to bend and touch from the side (ie on the left and right side of the nail at the last joint) I was still able to apply pressure like when doing a full crimp without pain but open handed crimps hurt. It took about 2 - 3 months to fully heal and the joint still isn't right, the knuckle has become permanently swollen (bone not soft tissue, I believe this isn't related to exactly the injury since arthritis runs in my family) I now tape them as a preventative measure when doing climbs at my limit So my diagnosis is, sit tight for another month seeing how they go, perhaps only climb real juggy stuff well below your limit or see a real doc you tight a*s |
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wesaaa |
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are you sure you're a dinky di climber? those hands look smoothe as the bonnet on a porche, manicured and too clean, even the nails are white! Are you
posing in the hope someone will pick you up as a hand model?!?!?
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jjobrien |
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Mike, that's pretty much what I expected.
Just wait until it gets better and just live with whatever changes have occured. Tight arse? You have no idea! Wesaa, no matter how much I climb at Coolum, my hands stay naturally smooth and lovely. Aren't you going to comment on my arse too?
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
Last Edited By: jjobrien
07/01/09 7:40 AM.
Edited 1 times.
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RockBoy |
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Last year I came off my dirt bike and landed end-on on my middle finger, symtoms were exactly like yours. I know quite a few occpational therapists and physios
plus I even paid to see physios and some doctors to solve it. The end result was inconclusive, most gussing it was just some sort of sprain in my joint. You
can get it ultra sound but everyone told me there probably isn't any point since the recovery would be the same.
I tried all sorts of crazy things to reduce the swelling but in the end nothing worked that well, and instead I spent most of last year mtbing and hardly climbing. It took about 7 months until i could climb again, but mine had my full wieght landing on it and yours may heal much quicker!!. My advice would be to see a doctor and buy a bike!! |
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jjobrien |
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See a doctor! That's what you guys are for.
Instead of getting a bike I've been occupying myself with work. I'm guessing my injury is not asa bad as that Rockboy, but there's no way I can see myself climbing very soon. I could probably do open handers, but I can't curl onto a jug or crimp. And I'm way too scared of doing the same thing again if I get back on the proj.
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
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bwilson |
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It may not be in the finger,
I've had my middle finger hit end on whilst playing soccer, it ended up fracturing the bone in my palm at a 30 degree angle. |
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James |
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I remember Tewantin state forest having some pretty fun mountain bike tracks. get into mtn biking & discover how many other fun ways you can hurt yourself
& break expensive equipment.
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Brazened |
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JJ, when I was 15 I broke the same finger on my right hand when it was hit on the end by a football. Same symptoms, ended with my finger being placed in a
splint for 3 mths to straighten it as it would have set in a broken position if nothing had been done. Hope it heals quickly,
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manacubus |
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Climbers are naturally uncoordinated when on level ground. They should avoid all other sports. Climbers have been grievously injured whilst attempting to
participate in the following: MTB, road riding, motocross, soccer, basketball, mixed netball, handball, volleyball, DIY home improvements, walking down stairs,
dancing at weddings & dancing at work Christmas parties.
Be smart. Don't get involved. |
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Rich |
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Looks sounds like cancer JJ. You might have to remove it.
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doug scown |
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If you can move it under force (bend and straighten) but it's just stiff and REALLY painful when you squeeze the sides of the joints (middle one
particularly) then it's a bad sprain of the colateral/transverse ligs.
It's healed up but you get loads of scar tissue along with that (hence the stiffness and pain) . If it's actually (like physically I can't do this or this) weak it may be due to a rupture of these ligs maybe even an avulsion of the tendon (when it just rips right off the bone). Yeow. The crookedness makes me think you've badly torn the ligament on the little finger side. A splint at this stage is prob useless. It needs to be tortured. I'd love to do it then you can do it yourself and have all the pleasure. It'll take a year but it'll be ok in a month if you go about it the right way. You're running out of body parts. |
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MikeCarlotto |
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Just want to chip in again on something here regarding people talking about splinting fingers, from what I've heard using a hard splint on a finger would
be as bad as a death sentence to a climber.
Apparently using a hard splint on a finger will imbolise it too much and actually increase (take longer) the healing time and leave you with worse movement in the joint. This knowledge only comes from my girlfriends mum who fell on her hand and badly hurt a finger, the doc she saw put it in a hard splint and said not to take it off for 4 weeks. After 5 it was still bumb and she went to a hand specialist on referal from the doc, first thing they did was throw the hard splint in the bin and give her a stiff elastic one. So just a bit of caution there. If you can move it under force (bend and straighten) but it's just stiff and REALLY painful when you squeeze the sides of the joints (middle one particularly) then it's a bad sprain of the colateral/transverse ligs. Sounds like this is what I must of done to my fingers. |
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Epic Steve |
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Just cut it off...! We all know the best climbers in the world have 9 and a half fingers!!!
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Brazened |
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I'm not advocating a splint, plus my finger was broken not a tendon injury. It was what I needed at the time though.
The movement in my finger is the same as all my others, however this would be due to my age at the time (15 and still growing, only just I do remember the doctor saying that if I had been a few years older the tendon, not the bone, would have broken away from the bone. But thats for you to find out. As i said, if I had not seen my doctor the finger would have set in a broken position. Go see a doctor, get an x-ray. Have a look at this site. There are too many different variables as to what has happened. http://www.emedicinehealt...ger_injuries/page2_em.htm And heal quick!
Last Edited By: Brazened
07/01/09 7:58 AM.
Edited 2 times.
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jjobrien |
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All great advice, I don't know why anyone would see a doctor when you have internet forums.
Rich, you could be right, it might be a tumor. Manacubus, you know I can't catch, so other sports are out. Mike, I value most the kind of knowledge that comes to us from sources such as some random guys girlfriends mum. I agree, splints are bad, m'kay. Epic, no, I have to keep all my fingers so people can tell me apart from my brother. Doug, why is it always the guy with the lisence that makes the most sense? Yes, every joint functions, the pain in the side has subsided. I have enjoyed this little foray into "community medicine" and I feel much richer for it.
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
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doug scown |
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Here's what you do. Get icepack/peas ready - grit teeth - pinch grip joint with opp. thumb/index (not tips but a real climbers pinch) - bend 90 degrees, twist (like a corkscrew/sideways), pull, grind your fingers into the sore bits (mostly sides/maybe top as well) - do this very hard for a few minutes/don't worry if you get some crunching (play around with it) kneed the most tender bits like you're trying to get a ring on thats two sizes too small - freeze it/I mean give yourself frost nip for 5-10minutes (painfully cold) - that's to stop any reaction from what you've just done otherwise it could look like a melon next day. With ice you can repeat it next day. Much faster. Otherwise ice is useless in this case. Once a day only but go hard once a day. You do that each day and it'll be 90% in 3 weeks or your money back but keep it up for months. it might even straighten up but only if you do this.
otherwise hello premature degeneration. All the best.
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jjobrien |
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Sorry Doug, had to stop reading at the third line.
Hope that story turned out OK. All the other stories were quite good.
Climb hard - or kneebar, your choice.
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doug scown |
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I loose most people at 'crunching.' Figuratively speaking you understand. |
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Ballfyboy |
Ice Massage | ||
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JJ, I believe the Doug may be on the correct path if it is scar tissue on the ligaments. I was silly enough to do a lot (ok few) chin ups with my wedding ring
on and had a bad finger for over a year before I went and visited a sports GP that I know. We ultra sounded it to see if the ligament tube cover thingies (or
insert a fancy latin name here) were intact. There are 2 if I recall correctly at the part of the finger where your ring sits. In my case they were so he
prescribed "ice massage and rest" and what do you know it was all good after about a month. The trick was to get it really cold! Good luck.
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