Connection strain between ring and little finger tendons

jerome pink

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Hi all, good work with this forum, its doing a great service.  I recently strained the connection between my little finger and ring finger tendons.  I did the injury after slipping off an open hand I was holding with three fingers (i figure that since I was using three fingers the connection between the ring and little finger was stretched).  After I slipped off I had a lot of pain through my hand and a small amount around the wrist in the carpel tunnel.  The doctor told me there was no problems with my tendons or the pulleys but that I had probably strained the connective tissue and recommended acupuncture to increase blood flow to the area to aid in healing.  After a couple of sessions I have been feeling a lot stronger but I still do not feel confident putting much weight through the hand.  There is a small amount of swelling around the two affected tendons around an inch below the finger.  I was wondering if this is a common problem?  and if anyone else has had a similar problem how long they found it was until they were able to really climb again?  Is it likely to be a long term problem?  Would it be recommended to climb gently with this injury or strict rest? Cheers all Jerome

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Rainer Gerl

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Hi Jerome! Same thing happened to me. I fell during a boulder session last oktober but my fingers didn't slip out of the pocket instantly. Afterwards I had the same symthoms as you mentioned but doctors told me that it wouldn't be a problem. I've been pausing for 3 weeks and afterwards started climbing again, but it started to hurt soon so i've been pausing again and afterwards started to tape my ring finger to my little finger. It's actually not the best for climbing because you cannot grab all the pockets the way you want but the pain has been gone. I stoped taping around christmas and short after i felt the pain again. So I've been taping again until midle of May and now it also works without tape. hope I could help you Rainer

jerome pink

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Thanks Rainer, the few short climbing seasions I had I noticed that taping seemed to help. Thanks for the reply, nice to know that it will get better. Cheers Jerome

Bjoern Alber

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Hi Jerome Tendon strains will take at least 6-8 weeks to heal properly, I think this strain in your case is compounded with a strain in the "interosseous muscles" - these muscles are situated between the metacarpal bones (bones running in the hands to the base of the fingers) and performs the "sissorlike" movements when the fingers are moved to and from each other. If this is the case you will need to twin tape these fingers together to take the strain of the muscle while climbing, and do so for at least 6 weeks. Antiinflammatory drugs and foam ball squeezing will, as usual, be beneficial in the healing process Remember - most important - I can only make an educated guess - you should get a sports medicine trained MD to examine and diagnose your injury - this will avoid loosing a lot of time trying remedies for something you actually don't have Best of luck Björn

Rainer Gerl

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Hi Dr 8a! I hope you can help me with a short, but for me a very important, question. I've right now a lesion of my front cruciate ligament (in german "lähsion des vorderen kreuzband") I hope the diccionary translated this correct. :) I've been to the doctor and had an MRT already and have to stop with sport for 6-8 weeks. Right now I'm having physio. But unfortunately i've forgotten to ask my doctor if the torn cruciate ligament will adhere or if it stays torn and will be weak for the rest of my life. And one further question my doctor couldn't answer me. Are there any problems with climbing in the future - do I have to be carefull with special moves like drop knees or s.t. thank you for your answer - right now I'm a little bit bothering 'cause I may have to live with that for the next 60 years :) greetings Rainer

Bo Thomsen

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it sounds like something i tried too. in the beginning when i started to climb, i did some one-arm-pullup-tranings but assisted them with my little-finger holding one to a thin rope. but when i then closed the 3 other fingers - leaving only that one finger in an "open hand" position, the connective "ligaments" between the ringfinger and little finger tendons - was then stredge( pulled longer than it could ). cure - climbing below the level where pain was felt. and never seperate those to fingers - ring and little f. all grips where hold with or without those two. it was felt for app. 2 month. if you hold a pause with climbing - the tendons will not get stronger - and the injury will come back when you begin again.

jerome pink

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Thanks for all the advice. Just a quick one for anyone else having a similar problem the acupuncture seems to have helped a lot. In the space of a week I went from my finger twinging in every day activities to not noticing it at all and I can now comortably hold a three finger pocket again (not that I'm doing much of that right now). I don't know how much of this was the acupuncture and how much was just it healing by itself but it seemed to work much better than I expected it to. Cheers J

Bjoern Alber

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Hi Rainer A frontal ligament tear will allways leave you with a slightly less stable knee - especially in the flexed (drop knee) position. World classs hockey players however play with no problems without this ligamnt because of their masive muscular development in the thigh. You should thus once a week from now on and onwards strength train your frontal thigh muscle (qvqdriceps). If you play this right it will never bbe a bother again Best of luck Björn