A2 Finger Tendon Pulley Injury

So there I was, another beautiful winter day at Shelf Road near Canon City. For me it is just another day of climbing, and my excited eyes have wandered to a beautiful line ascending the limestone cliff face just ahead. The temperatures are perfect, and before I know it, I am already roped in and fifty feet in the air, about to face the most difficult moves of the route. I take a second to preview the terrain ahead and then take off. I reach my right hand high, having my feet on two little nubs, and sink it in a hole just big enough to fit one finger. As I transfer my weight onto the single finger I feel something start to give and then “pop!” A tingle and gradual pain surge through the finger and then into my hand and forearm. I have just partially torn my A2 pulley, (a ligament that holds the tendon sheath close to the finger bone) and am now out for the count.

It really is an amazing thing when you think about. To have your entire bodyweight hanging on only the tips of your fingers is an amazing anatomical feat! Climbers put a lot of stress on their fingers, so it is no surprise that they can get injured more easily. Unfortunately many climbers also suffer from the affliction of obsession, and the road to recovery from a finger injury can be just as difficult as sending your long time project.

I was out for months and couldn’t put weight on the finger for weeks!! After about two months, I gradually got back into climbing, always making sure to tape around the base to help support the tendon sheath and keep it close to the bone. Still, it would hurt sometimes and I never felt like I had recovered to 100%.

It was not until I was introduced to acupuncture, and specifically “E-Stim”, that my finger actually began to feel as if it were truly recovering. Imagine how good a massage feels when you are sore. Ok, now translate that feeling, but miniaturize it, and zoom in on a small area of the body. We’re talking on a very small scale here, in my case the single finger where the tear occurred. “E-Stim” sends a low electrical current through two points (acupuncture needles) and stimulates the muscle into contracting and relaxing. It essentially helps pump and direct blood into the region of the injury.

For us climbers, this is a very good thing. The tendon/pulley complexes in the finger have fairly poor blood flow compared to other areas in the body, and this sometimes can compound an injury even further. Acupuncture loosens the area and allows for better blood flow. The best part to all this is that no surgery is required and treatments are quick and painless.

I have now gone to Boulder Sports Acupuncture several times, and with the help of Steven Rizzolo, managed my pain and improved my overall recovery from this injury in a very natural way. I no longer have to tape for the majority of climbs and feel stronger than before the injury. Speaking as a previously skeptical person of acupuncture, I am amazed at how much of a positive difference just one treatment can have. Acupuncture might not be for everyone, and the extent of its help can vary from person to person, but I highly recommend checking it out as an alternative to surgery and a way to speed recovery. I am sure that if you visit Boulder Sports Acupuncture, you too will be impressed after only one treatment!
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for the contribution Dan. Along with rotator cuff injury, a strained or torn A2 pulley tendon is one of the most common injuries a climber will experience. Acupuncture with e-stim is very effective in decreasing the pain and discomfort of this injury. More importantly it will decrease the healing time allowing you to get back to doing what you love.

Thank you for reading this patient contributed article on the Boulder Sports Acupuncture blog. Please call or email with questions regarding this injury or anything else you would like to inquire about as well as to schedule an appointment.

For a closer look at this injury, read the article at
http://www.nicros.com/archive/A2_pulley_injury.cfm


And don't forget to comment on this post!


Steven M. Rizzolo, D.OM
Boulder Sports Acupuncture
2935 Baseline Road
Boulder, CO. 80305
303.506.4637