Finger anatomy

Our fingers are some of the smallest extremities in our body. While rock climbing we put tremendous strain on our fingers. This is a perfect combination to encourage an injury. It is valuable to look at the anatomy of the hand and fingers to see what we can do to decrees the risk of climb injury and to also have a look at what to do if a finger injury happens.   

There are no muscles in our fingers and our hands only have small muscles meant for fine controlled movement not for the powerful explosive force needed for rock climbing. The energy needed for rock climb comes from your forearms. Tendons run from the strong muscles in your forearm, through your wrist to your fingers to supply the power you need for climbing. After the tendons pass through your wrist and hand they run through ligaments in your fingers called annular ligaments. Your annular ligaments redirect the pull of the tendons to move your fingers in the same way the guides on a fishing pole bend a rod when force is applied to the end of the fishing line. It’s the A2 and the A3 annular pulley’s of your index, middle and ring finger that are the most prone for damage.                             

When you are griping with and open hand grip there is very little pressure put on the pulleys in your fingers. It’s when you use a crimping grip that your fingers are in danger. As a new climber it feels as though we have much more strength in the crimp position but with practice your open hand grip will feel more comfortable and strong. When you are climbing at your max trying to get up a climb beyond your limits, which I strongly recommend you do to increases you skill, you will come across holds that you just need to crimp. When you come across a hold you just can’t get with an open hand grip try to use a grip half way between a crimp an open hand. When in a full crimp grip you can take a little force off your tendons and ligaments in your finger by placing you thumb on top of your index finder to add a little extra strength and support.   

It takes a long time to develop climbing skill. Some people will start out doing 5.8 and 5.9 while others will start with 5.4 and 5.5. No matter where you start anybody can end up climbing the 5.11’s and 5.12’s, it just takes time, effort and patience. No matter how long you have been climbing or what you skill level is you have to remember that your muscles will develop strength faster than you tendons and ligaments. You can easily increase you climbing power in a few months to a level that your ligaments and tendons can’t handle and get tendonitis, sprains, pulley injuries and many other very uncomfortable problems that will put you’re climbing on hold. So take you time. Train hard but be smart. Push your limits but not all day. Once you start feeling pain in your fingers go down a grade or two or stop your session and stretch out. Don’t keep pulling on that crimp over and over again; you can come back to it in a few days.