Injuries and Medical Advice

Eighteen months ago I had an operation on my shoulder for Os acromialis. It was subsequently diagnosed as frozen shoulder.

I first got tendonosis in my right elbow (medial epicondyle) in 2001 bouldering on plastic. Resting, icing and stretching did not work. I tried cortisone, prednisone, a physical therapist who did massage and Ionto-phoresis for a few weeks (which in hindsight was hocus-pocus), with no long-term improvement.

I have numbness in my hands and fingers while sleeping. I've started spending more time bouldering in the gym and increasing the intensity level. I work at a desk, and spend most of my day at the computer.

I recently cut off the tip of my left index finger with a plate joiner. I am a new ice climber. How will this affect my ability to climb? I am 27 years old.

Two months ago I was working an overhanging crack on toprope. My left hand was jammed in a bottleneck constriction, and as I was reaching up with my right hand for another hold, my feet came off. I fell with full force onto my left arm, but my left hand did not come out of crack.

I was pulling on a small side pull in an open-handed grip with marginal feet and heard a loud pop. After that my left ring finger felt unsupported and I couldn't weight it. There was a dull ache between the middle and last joint of my finger, which has since subsided to a slight pain.

I've been diagnosed with a grade 3 AC joint separation from a mountain-biking accident. I'm 42 and a serious social rock climber. I've had one orthopedic surgeon recommend I have the operation and another recommend against it. What say you, Dr. J?

The morning after a day of hard gym bouldering, I noticed a popping or mild locking in my left middle finger when opening and closing it. The feeling soon went away, but came back worse every consecutive morning. I took two weeks off from climbing and my finger was feeling good, so I climbed very moderately two days ago, but this morning the popping returned. Any suggestions?

I have had a subluxation (partial dislocation) of the biceps tendon manually relocated, but it doesn't stay there. The original injury occurred when performing a mantel. It's been two months now, but no healing progress.

I've been doing hangboard and pull-up sessions with added weight. I have had medial elbow tendonosis in the past, and it seems to be returning.

I use a campus board for a quick pump when time is limited. I also campus easier problems for some added strength. However, lately, after five minutes or so of training, I get this aching along the ulnar side of my forearm.

I've had an inflamed middle knuckle in one of my fingers for a few months. I saw a doctor, and after an x-ray he told me it was synovitis, the first stage of rheumatoid arthritis. He told me a) not to be worried and b) maybe to be a little worried.