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Specific training after losing a finger

Original Post
Peter Hudnut · · Golden, CO · Joined Sep 2017 · Points: 66

Lost half a finger in a freak accident five months ago. Was back to climbing 9 days post accident (not doctor’s orders) and basically back close to my previous level within three months. Sent some 12+s last fall pre-accident, sent some 12-s in early February and mid 12s later that month… Was very pleased with how my stump was healing, but have observed that in the last two months my healing and progress have flatlined. My finger was surgically repaired with a skin graft from my forearm on what would be the second pad, and the skin graft still needs to be bandaged up and protected when climbing. Range of motion and strength in the remaining joint also seem to have stalled at ~75%.

If you have any experience with missing fingers and climbing, whether it has happened to you or if you are a medical professional, are there any specific exercises I could be doing for strength and range of motion, and are there ways to speed up desensitization and toughen up the skin on a skin graft? As in, will I ever be able to usefully crimp down on sharp rock with part of a finger, or would my time and energy be better spent elsewhere?

Already this injury has forced me to adapt and change aspects of my climbing, probably for the better, but at almost half a year out I am having a hard time accepting that this may be as good as it is going to get, and I am hopeful that my finger stump could yet be useful in my climbing!

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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