Thanks for the info. With that link I narrowed the pain down to the location of the A2 pulley. So the described pain is when pressing the a2 pulley against the bone with moderate pressure.

More importantly, you probably do not need to see a doctor. Take two weeks off of climbing, ice it, and see how it improves. And don't injure it again, which is a whole 'nother complex topic.

A mild pulley injury is a good possibility, but from the way you describe it, a ganglion cyst in some ways fits better.

Feel around there with your other hand. Can you find a little bump, like a half a grain of rice? If so, it's a ganglion cyst. Far less serious than a pulley strain.

GO

A mild pulley injury is a good possibility, but from the way you describe it, a ganglion cyst in some ways fits better.

Feel around there with your other hand. Can you find a little bump, like a half a grain of rice? If so, it's a ganglion cyst. Far less serious than a pulley strain.

GO

Palpation is generally an unreliable method of achieving an accurate diagnosis. It has very poor inter-tester reliability. It can assist, however, when it is "clustered" with other tests.

A strained pulley would tend to be painful with crimping, especialy a really tight, end range crimp.

This is a type of "selective tissue tension testing", which is more reliable than palpation.

Visible bowstringing has mixed reviews.

Even better is MRI, or certain diagnostic ultrasounds.

Best diagnosis ultimately is, cut it open and look at it! (Not yourself, have a hand surgeon do it).

Treatment-wise, keep it moving, as long as movement does not worsen the symptoms. Understand what that means.

Well today they hurt a lot less and it takes squeezing pretty hard to get just a bit of mild pain. I did notice some mild pain (1 out of 10) when the spot wasimpacted by a tool handle though. Been doing arom pain free.

Stop squeezing your finger. You can only slow your healing. Keep it moving, start axial loading, loading it gently, gradually in the direction you will be using it. Stop the compressive forces.

I was under the impression that massaging the healing tissue (which necessarily involves some squeezing/pressure) was good for healing. Is this incorrect?

OP - if you can crimp hard without pain, I think you can rule out a pulley injury.

My impression, mr.tastycakes, is that the OP is squeezing his finger daily, maybe sevral times daily, in order to assess whether or not it is healing, or if it is getting better. I think he is squeezing as a diagnostic technique. I could be wrong.

Deep friction massage is targeted toward a specific tissue, and when applied to tissue that is no longer in the acute (or probably even subacute) phase of healing can help with scar tissue remodeling. My reading of the OPs complaint does not sound like massage is yet indicated.