Finger injuries

by David
(Lincolnshire, England)

I have had a tendon injury for the past two months in my right middle finger, caused by over-exertion while climbing. I am quite a bit heavier than the average rock climber (around 13-stone or 182 pounds), and I'm also relatively new to the sport, which I think is why the problem came about in the first place.

What course of action would you recommend to gradually improve finger strength so I can support myself on the wall without repeating this injury?

Great question David.

First and foremost you need to make sure that you rest until the injury is completely healed. Once it is healed you will want to start climbing again, but begin with easy stuff.

I mean really easy stuff and tape that finger for the first few weeks you climb again. Once you start climbing again you should focus on rope climbing as bouldering can be very hard on the tendons.

The best thing with an injury is to take it easy and start to increase as time goes on. You'll want to eventually start some bouldering, hangboard workouts, and even some campusing. All of this should be down over a long period of time.

Injuries can bother you for years if you don't let them heal properly.

the climbing expert