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Pulley Splint Advice - S.P.Ort vs Pulley Pal
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Hi, I sprained my A4 pulley on my ring finger about a month ago and the healing process is working, but slowly. I am considering getting a pulley splint and was wondering if anyone has experience with the S.P.Ort custom pulley system and/or the NiceClimbs Pulley Pal products and can lend some insight into which they recommend. |
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I bought the Sport splint and used it briefly, but it was uncomfortable and I remain unconvinced these splint devices do much to prevent further injury, or even help the healing process. I think some good old fashioned tape (H-tape or buddy tape depending on the severity of your injury) works great. I'm no expert, but I've torn my A2 badly in both hands (middle and ring fingers) and minor tears to my A4 and I've always been able to heal up by resting it for a while (3-4 weeks) then getting back to climbing conservatively along with a strict hangboard weight progression to build finger strength. In my opinion (and former user of the Sport splint) these things work by reminding you that your finger is injured, so that you don't push yourself too hard too soon. If you're actually applying serious, injury-provoking force to your fingers, a splint will not prevent you from causing more damage. It just doesn't sit tight enough against the relevant tissue to prevent further tears. Same goes for taping, which is why buddy taping seems to work so well, because it basically prevents you from crimping down normally. Good luck. At least it ain't a broken foot! I had just fully healed from my last pulley injury and then I went and fractured my fibular sesamoid, which is a whole hell of a lot worse (so far). |
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The sport splint was awesome for me. Was back on warp factor (crimpy 13a) within 8 weeks of a full A4 rupture on my ring finger. I always keep an extra bit of material in my van just in case now. It isn't the most comfortable to climb on jugs with and you cant climb finger cracks with it. |
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According to the scientific literature and my hand PT who treats lots of climbers, pulley rings are just about pointless and you really need to H-tape pulley injuries. I've brought 2 A2 pulleys back into functionality after partial tears thanks to H-tape. There isn't a lot of literature on A4 tears, unfortunately but this page has lots of good info in case you haven't found it yet: and |
Bryan H wrote: Why would H tape and pulley rings function any differently? It seems like they effectively do the same thing but with different materials and different stiffnesses. |
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Based on my experience with the splint, you can’t get it nearly as tight to the bone as you can with a good tape job. In any case, there are studies that show even tape doesn’t do anything to actually hold your tendon down when significant force is applied. I think all of these work by a different mode of action (reminding you to avoid stressing the tissue). |
Bryan H wrote: Disclosure: My friend and I sell the Pulley Pal through NiceClimbs, so am obviously biased here, but wanted to give my 2 cents In fact, the Pulley Pal was inspired by scientific literature that shows that pulley splints (rings) are effective at reducing the tendon-phalanx distance during healing: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1080603215004779 The problems with tape are twofold: (1) Tape changes shape in response to applied mechanical forces, so when the tendon, which has lost the support of a pulley due to injury, tries to move out from the bone (phalanx), the tape loop will change shape to allow some slack for the tendon to move outward. That is, unless you tape super tight, which brings me to problem (2) Tight tape cuts off the circulation to the distal finger, which runs along the sides of the finger. Pulley splints are designed to specifically push the tendon back against the bone, without applying pressure along the sides of the finger and cutting off circulation. I'd also point out that a number of physical therapists have reviewed the Pulley Pal and given highly positive feedback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/NiceClimbs-Pulley-Climbing-Finger-Splint/dp/B088MM4937#customerReviews The handful of negative reviews are mostly based on the the rings breaking sometimes, which is a problem we're actively working on, and we send out new ones for free to anyone who asks! At the end of the day, I think the success that some folks (including myself) have had with the Pulley Pal is based on (1) the actual physical pressure the splint provides to keep the tendon close to the bone even under tension, and (2) the reminder that you have an injury based on the sensation of having the ring on (as mentioned above). In this sense, the PP is probably better than tape, which cuts off circulation and numbs the finger. Pulley injuries are frustrating, and there's no magic solution, but we're happy that some people have had success in recovery, helped by the Pulley Pal. |
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I had a complete rupture of my A2 pulley and tried out both the SPOrt and A2 pulley. I found the SPOrt to be more comfortable as it was molded to the shape of my finger and did not have the side prongs. I also wore it with skin colored sports tape so it was much less noticeable when I was at work or out and about. I think both of them help to prevent injury (especially for complete rupture where even minor loads like picking up a towel caused me significant pain without it). I would definitely check out this page for exercises to actually help strengthen and recover. blackdiamondequipment.com/e…; |
