Post by nic on Jun 21, 2015 10:09:50 GMT -7
Injury: bouldering on overhanging roof and caught my hand under my foot as I went to make a move off hand foot matched monster jug.
Implications: Felt the tendon being strained in a shooting sensation up my forearm. Felt mild compared to previous pulley/tendon issues so I just took off 10 days and went on a trip planned and tried to do a little bouldering on it. Probably a bad idea. Took 1.5 months off after another few weeks realizing it was still messed up. Climbed 5-6 months on it after that but the injury came back.
I got really strong during this time but also overtrained and got chronic fatigue. Wrist and forearm was holding me back also. I would have to jump off boulder problems whenever there were a right hand that inflamed my injury. Same deal with routes. Almost onsighted a 13a but my right hand would lock up and lose strength.
I then took off 7-8 months! Back at it since beginning of March now. I started with 2 months of really easy route climbing and traversing, slowly progressing up as I got back in shape. I wasn't able to ARC that much as the volume would be too much for my joints just back to climbing. Things have been generally fine but soon as I started doing a little harder climbing and hang-boarding the pain is back. Its awkward small pockets, crimps, pinches, even slopers you have to squeeze. I think the pinches were the worse hang-boarding. I couldn't really do them even with 70lbs added and dabbing my feet.
Symptoms I have now, usually in this order: tenderness in my forearm, wrist gets stiff, lose mobility (hard to rotate my hand), lose grip strength, lose a little feeling in my hand (drop things like dishes all the time).
Sitting here now if I squeeze my fist hard I feel pain on the back of my hand in the area up from the pointer, middle, and ring finger knuckles. Its tender if I press on the inside or my forearm/wrist like an inch up from where a watch band clasp would sit.
Climbing Background: 33 years old. Climbing regularly since summer 2011, almost exclusively bouldering but I want to focus on routes now. A few previous 8 month stints up to V5 when I was younger along with summers spent top-roping as a teenager)
Chronically injured the last few years (avulsion fracture ankle, rotator cuff tendonitis, pulley and tendon strains in right hand about 4-5 times) so never really got to push myself outdoors when I was healthy. Boulder V6 on a good day, V7 on the best. Never tried hard routes consistently but I could some mid 5.12s in the gym when I randomly tried.
I think and have been told I have good technique and contact strength is the main thing holding me back. I need to fix my hand so I am not crippled with this forever. I am going to try the doctor again maybe but before he just brushed me off and said stop using my hand and it will get better and it obviously did not. I even use the computer left handed now and really limited anything that would both the injury during my rest time. I also eat super healthy!
Any idea whats going on and how to proceed? My climbing partner has a physical therapist in her family I might see soon for some advice. I am wondering if I should do some graded therapy to rehab it. Hang-boarding seemed too intense though even with 70lbs added. My left hand would be fine in a few days but my right is inflamed for 1 1/2 weeks maybe.
I've read the whole book and was trying to stick to a modified training plan based of it but I've had to abandon hang-boarding after a few sessions and I've needed a 3-5 day rest break about every few weeks. I am bouldering another week and then working on power-endurance while also doing some outdoor climbing at the New Rive Gorge.
