|
zenmarko
Feb 24, 2008, 1:09 PM
Post #1 of 19
(15952 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 24, 2008
Posts: 2
|
I'm new to climbing, been doing it for about 3 months now (bouldering almost exclusively). I go 2-3 times a week, and have been making pretty good progress; working v4's now.
Anyway, my hands feel fine during the day, and I never go if my fingers are sore or hurt, but lately when I wake up in the morning, my fingers are stiff and sore, as if I've been clenching them all night. After I wake up and they relax, they feel fine again.
Anyway, I'm going to get it checked out, but I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else and if so, why?
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 24, 2008, 2:44 PM
Post #2 of 19
(15937 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
Here's my call...
Acute, but mild, osteoarthritis...inflammation of your interphalangeals, (IPs), and metacarpophalangeals (MCPs). The stresses you are putting on your fingers is too intense at this point. If you continue at the same intensity, you will get some bony changes in your fingers. Not much, if anything, will show up on X ray, and a regular family practice doc (I predict) will give you pain killers/anti-inflammatories, and tell you to back off from bouldering.
I'd say, back off a little. 1-2 times per week. Monitor the symptoms, Back off more if needed.
It's also possible that you really are clenching your fists all night. hmmm...maybe more sex.
(This post was edited by onceahardman on Feb 24, 2008, 2:46 PM)
|
|
|
|
|
Valarc
Feb 24, 2008, 4:05 PM
Post #3 of 19
(15908 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Apr 20, 2007
Posts: 1473
|
I get the same thing, but also seemingly in my elbows as well. I've always had painful joints, lots of popping and cracking, and all the joint weakness that comes with being "double jointed" too. I've pretty much resigned myself to painful joints when I'm older - it runs in the family.
|
|
|
|
|
skellie
Feb 24, 2008, 5:01 PM
Post #4 of 19
(15891 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 8, 2008
Posts: 54
|
Yeah, I get that too. It's from working too many crimpy routes / overtraining / being too heavy...
I've found that if I wake up in the night and open and close my hands a few times it helps prevent the soreness. When you're awake you're always using your hands, so they naturally stay loose and flexible. Not using your hands for eight hours while your asleep gives fluids a chance to collect at the joints. Cold weather seems to make it worse too.
However, in the end, it's a sign of OVERTRAINING.
(This post was edited by skellie on Feb 24, 2008, 5:06 PM)
|
|
|
|
|
zenmarko
Feb 24, 2008, 5:56 PM
Post #5 of 19
(15872 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Feb 24, 2008
Posts: 2
|
Yeah, I'm going to give it a rest and hope it improves.
Are there any finger stretches or anything that will help my tendons recover faster? I just pull my fingers back gently.
|
|
|
|
|
corson
Feb 24, 2008, 6:04 PM
Post #6 of 19
(15871 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Oct 16, 2005
Posts: 193
|
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 25, 2008, 12:03 AM
Post #7 of 19
(15825 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
Hi Corson...
The OP said he had pain when he woke up, almost as if he had been clenching his fists all night.
A muscle imbalance, in and of itself, is not painful. It can lead to injury, and should be watched, but really, in my experience, does not cause pain. Joint irritation, or more specifically joint inflammation from overuse, is a more likely cause.
Other possibilities? Early onset rheumatoid arthritis (bummer diagnosis), tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, Dupuytren's contracture, Dequervain's tenosynovitis...probably many more.
Inflammation of a joint = arthritis, by definition.
Lactic acid threshold never really gets reached. There is no evidence it could cause these symptoms, and no evidence that e-stim has any curative effect.
As for the supplements you take, I'm not against you taking them, but there is no evidence supporting their effectiveness, either.
|
|
|
|
|
onceahardman
Feb 25, 2008, 1:21 AM
Post #8 of 19
(15802 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Aug 3, 2007
Posts: 2493
|
In reply to: I've found that if I wake up in the night and open and close my hands a few times it helps prevent the soreness. When you're awake you're always using your hands, so they naturally stay loose and flexible. Not using your hands for eight hours while your asleep gives fluids a chance to collect at the joints.
I agree 100%... Range of motion exercise (ROM) keeps the synovial fluid within the joint moving, which provides nutrition to the avascular cartilage of joint surfaces.
|
|
|
|
|
tuna
Feb 25, 2008, 3:22 AM
Post #9 of 19
(15768 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Mar 28, 2004
Posts: 188
|
Great thread so far.
Not one person has made a remark about him probably clinching his bedsheet at night being to scared to actually go out in the real world and get on some real rock.
Like everyone else has said, more than anything else just overtraining. Take a bit of rest and see what happens.
If you want just use huge jugs and slopers during your training.
ciao
Santana
|
|
|
|
|
GeneralBenson
Feb 29, 2008, 3:49 AM
Post #10 of 19
(15663 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Jan 19, 2007
Posts: 270
|
I've had the same problem lately. I've found a few things to be true. 1) Cold weather DEFINATELY makes it worse, which makes me think arthritis. 2) Training the opposing muscles in my forearms makes it better, which makes me think strength imbaclance. I know, like someone said that imbalances don't actually hurt, but it does seem to cause the nighttime clenching that has been mentioned. When you 'relax' your muscles at night, one relaxed muscle is still way stronger and tighter than the other relaxed muscle, resulting in a clenched fist. I found when it first got bad, that it actually helped to tape my fingers together at night so I couldn't close my hand all the way. 3) Like everyone already said, it's a sign of overtraining. Back off and it will get better. Better yet, take two weeks off, then take it easy for a while. Also try things like Ginger root, Magnesium, Glucosamine/Chondroitin and other joint helping things. You can do what I did and spend a month working on balance, footwork and flexability; and laying off your fingers at all costs. You'll come back with weaker fingers but you'll still climb harder.
|
|
|
|
|
scottah
Nov 15, 2008, 2:56 AM
Post #11 of 19
(14982 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 4
|
Hi, Just googled "Climbing Stiff Fingers Morning", lo and behold, this thread popped up.
What you've described certainly matches my experience.
Some curious points.
* It hurts to curl my fingers. However if someone curls them for me then it's fine....
I've been climbing for about 8 months now, ~4 months of 2 or 3 times a week.
OP (zenmarko), Just wondering how your condition has progressed???
|
|
|
|
|
polanskyws
Nov 15, 2008, 3:14 AM
Post #12 of 19
(14973 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 8, 2008
Posts: 11
|
I have the same problem, and I can relate to you as well. I've been climbing for about a month and half now and the only joint swelling I get is on the middle fingers of both hands, the middle knuckle. I haven't really figured that out yet either...maybe I'm placing too much pressure on the middle fingers as opposed to spreading it evenly?
I don't really know what's causing it, but the pain/lack of flexibility goes away when I start climbing again, so I'm just gonna say it is my body telling me that I'm not spending enough time climbing.
|
|
|
|
|
scottah
Nov 15, 2008, 3:32 AM
Post #13 of 19
(14967 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 4
|
So your fingers are sore throughout the day? or just in the morning?
Once I'm up and moving them, then they're OK. Perhaps I need to give them a bit of a workout in the middle of the night!
I'd like to think that it's my body working hard at making them STRONGER, but I often delude myself ;)
|
|
|
|
|
polanskyws
Nov 15, 2008, 3:37 AM
Post #14 of 19
(14961 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 8, 2008
Posts: 11
|
Pretty much sore in the morning. Sometimes before I climb I'll soak my hands in warm-hot water and that helps loosen things up pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
scottah
Nov 15, 2008, 3:43 AM
Post #15 of 19
(14958 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 4
|
That must soften your skin up too! Ouch
|
|
|
|
|
polanskyws
Nov 15, 2008, 3:54 AM
Post #16 of 19
(14954 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 8, 2008
Posts: 11
|
I suppose it does, but it hasn't given me any problems yet...I guess I'll have to see how things go down the line if it ends up being a problem
|
|
|
|
|
Neel
Nov 15, 2008, 3:55 AM
Post #17 of 19
(14952 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 22, 2008
Posts: 116
|
I had the same issue, i'd wake up and my hands were completely stiff and sore, to the point where i couldn't even open, say, a bottle of water.
in my case it turns out that i was in fact clenching my fists while i slept. Once i became aware of that i was able to force myself not to... i was worried for a while that it might be arthritis related. phew.
|
|
|
|
|
scottah
Nov 15, 2008, 4:09 AM
Post #18 of 19
(14947 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Nov 15, 2008
Posts: 4
|
How did you realise you were clenching at night? I kind of suspect it... or rather find my hand in a fist but I've rolled on top of it... strange.
|
|
|
|
|
Neel
Nov 15, 2008, 5:53 AM
Post #19 of 19
(14920 views)
Shortcut
Registered: Sep 22, 2008
Posts: 116
|
i tend to sleep on my arms as well, and i've woken up with clenched hands, i also noticed myself making a fist while trying to fall asleep. somehow now that i'm conscious of it, i dont do it anymore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
