Boldering Forums

Alright .. I know there have been a hundred or so threads on the topic, but this one is slightly different.

Twice in the last 2 years, I have injured the knuckle on my ring and middle finger on a crimp. I'm pretty sure I wasn't warmed up enough both times. Last year, climbing with Pinky and Eff I was on an overhanging climb, feeling fine, not struggling, and hit a good hold an literally POPPEd off the hold. My Knuckle popped, not my tendon. I'm almost positive it was the knuckle. Anyway the knuckle swelled slightly, and was stiff and painful for about a month.

I'm pretty sure that was my left hand. Now, climbing a vert wall on crimps, going to a good hold with no feet, the same damn thing happened on my right hand. POP. Here's the rub, both times I was just getting back into shape after not having climbed in a while, like close to a year, and before I took anytime off, when I climbed 3-4 days a week and did pull-ups on my rest days, I NEVER had an injury outside of some tendonitus in my elbows. WTF MAN. I know I'm old an' shit but can I just climb something harder than V4+ without my knuckles exploding?

Cardboard_Dog wrote:I know I'm old an' shit but can I just climb something harder than V4+ without my knuckles exploding?

Apparently not.

Cardboard_Dog wrote:Last year, climbing with Pinky and Eff ...

this should be a lesson to everyone here.

Finger doesn't hurt anymore. Just crushed a new boulder. Butt Rape.

that's curious- knuckle pop. perhaps that's associated with the pulleys that support the tendon and attach at the knuckles. can the knuckles dislocate otherwise? not sure. but those little supportive pulleys can get torn for sure. one sure sign is a kind of bow-string effect where the tendon isn't pulled up to the finger bone. bonus is that can be helped with taping. though it's not proper recovery, it's amazing how one can climb injured, cycling between this finger and that being kind of tweaked.

there are some problem names that invite second ascents. others less so.

I recently named one "Fuck You You Fucking Fuck"

ha .. one of my ex-girlfriends' mother bought a shirt in NY because it said that. It used to crack her up. She was a very nice lady .. didn't get out much.

toivo wrote:that's curious- knuckle pop. perhaps that's associated with the pulleys that support the tendon and attach at the knuckles. can the knuckles dislocate otherwise? not sure. but those little supportive pulleys can get torn for sure. one sure sign is a kind of bow-string effect where the tendon isn't pulled up to the finger bone. bonus is that can be helped with taping. though it's not proper recovery, it's amazing how one can climb injured, cycling between this finger and that being kind of tweaked.

there are some problem names that invite second ascents. others less so.

It is still pretty stiff and I can't fully make a fist .. but it doesn't really hurt anymore and it doesn't complain when I crimp so .. I'm going to consider it HEALED (enough)

my knee popped so loud the other day at teh gym while i fell heelhooking with my foot kinda stuck - that everybody went silent and looked at me on the mat.

that was a scary moment.

ice and shit for a few days - whew! no big deal.