How Jugs Can Be Risky: PIP Joints and Climbers
Easy climbing is one of the most common mistakes I see climbers make with PIP joint pain, especially when the pain is in the middle and ring finger.
It seems intuitive that doing easy climbing will be less stressful on the finger, but this video demonstrates why that isn't the case.
The video shows my hand grabbing a "sinker" jug and making a move, followed by a bump move off it. If you watch the video to the end (watch to the end!), you can see how much rotation happens at the middle and ring finger PIP joints.
check it out:
easy climbing can be stressful
I've shared many times how high-rate rotational loading is more stressful on the fingers than static loading.
However, people don't realize that easy climbing has just as much, if not more. Especially when you can get your middle and distal bones around the edge of the jug, in that context, most of the stress in the fingers goes into the PIP joint.
Another problem with easy climbing is the sheer volume of it. For example, someone who can project V6 can do much more climbing in the V2-3 range. Thinking that you're doing "less stress" to the finger in that context is a mistake.
Often, PIP joint swelling and soreness are the consequence of stressing the following:
Collateral ligaments (sides of the joint)
A3 pulleys (hold the tendon close to the joint)
Volar plate (ligament across the joint where A3 attaches)
It's unreasonable to think any tissue is stressed or injured in isolation.
Instead, when a climber has a painful PIP joint (most common in the middle fingers), they need to modify this type of stress. It is not usually the intensity of the load that is the culprit. Instead, it is the dosage of this type of stress.
The "treatment" is simple, not easy.
Avoid the high-rate rotational loading for a few weeks to months.
Don't spend weeks to months climbing easy terrain. Especially in a gym.
Keep loading your fingers in an easily trackable way (ladder style). Fingerboard, campus board (feet on), spray wall etc.
Key takeaways:
A high volume of easy training can be counterproductive.
The PIP Joint can suffer from overdoing easy climbing.
Be patient as hell in rehab! That's the not easy part.