Weird hand pain between knuckles

I was bouldering a couple of weeks ago and leaning back on a two-finger pocket (middle and ring). To get to the next hold, I pulled that hand, and I felt a sharpish pain/pop(maybe?) and immediately released and fell. I had some soreness around the big knuckle on my ring finger, gave it ten days, and did some light top roping and bouldering two days later. The top roping didn't seem to be an issue, and no "climbing" move makes me feel pain. Crimping, etc. give no issues. I didn't do any pocket work. After the bouldering, my hand started to hurt more and what I thought was pain in the finger just past the knuckle seems actually to be pain in the hand, between the ring and middle fingers, right between the knuckles, rather than finger pain.

I get pain (soreness, not sharp) when I press my ring finger to my thumb and push or when I hold something with my ring finger or middle finger that pushes the fingers apart. My wrist brace seems to be helping today, since it's compressing my hand laterally.

Any ideas on what this is? I'm taking a two-week break now and looking at a trip to the Red at that point (easy/moderate sport and trad - nothing over 5.10, most well below).

Thanks,
jg

Hey Josh, had a similar issue the other week, except your situation sounds a little worse than mine.  I took a week off, lightly used ibuprofen (maybe one a day), took Osteo Biflex twice a day, and did some resistance band stretches for my hand while I was sitting at my desk at work.  It seemed to work for me, so I hope it helps for you too!

Scott 

Thanks - me too! It's feeling better after a day of wearing the brace; the support helps, so hopefully it'll be able to heal.

Bump for hurty fingers

I should clarify - the 'pop' wasn't audible. More that I felt it give/start to hurt all at once, rather than gradual onset of pain.

Also, from the climbing doctor site:

• Most commonly occurs over the A2 pulley (ring finger most common)
• Tenderness to touch along pulley
• Swelling, redness and inflammation at the base of the finger
• Stiffness and/or pain with bending the fingers
• Painful to actively crimp and grip

I have very few or none of these symptoms. Crimping and gripping isn't an issue. There's no pain from palpation of the fingers, no swelling, etc.

jg

Aha - I think that it's a lumbrical injury, not a pulley, since those symptoms above don't fit, but these do:

( thewellnessdigest.com/lumbr…)

• Pain in the fingers, index and little finger pain most common
• Pain in the finger joints
• Stiffness in the finger joints
• Pain and or stiffness while closing and opening the hand
• Pinching using the thumb and fingers is painful
• Gripping objects such as pens, pencils, needles for hand sewing or knitting between the thumb and fingers causes pain and discomfort

...at least the last three.

Anybody had this? Good taping ideas? Other tips?