fingers

[sbroam]

This has been one of my lightest paddling years on record and unfortunately one where I seem to have a paddling related condition/injury developing. What I noticed a couple of months ago was a knot at the base of my ring finger on my right hand (my "shaft" hand). It was about the size of a small pea and felt as hard as bone; though not painful. My doctor said it was where the tendon (ligament? I get those confused) attaches to my finger and it had pulled away somewhat. I can't remember the precise word he used - expulsion? contraction?

He recommended stretching the finger (bending backwards), gently massaging it, and taking a couple of glucosamine/chondroitin tablets per day. That has had some affect, the size of the knot has been reduced to that of a lentil or so.

Then... A couple of weeks ago I helped out with a canoe trip for "Canoeing for Kids" (we had a bunch of kids from a juvenile program) and ended up paddling 5 miles or so in a 16 foot open boat with one dead weight passenger and towing a two person sit on top kayak with two more mostly dead weight passengers. Ugh. The next day I noticed a similar knot, but bigger, on my middle finger and this time it was moderately painful when manipulated or strained. The doctor (visited him for a sinus problem) says it is the same as the other finger and may very well be due to being out of shape and overloading the joint. Can't argue with him on either point... He recommended gloves or "some sort of cushion". I'm not sure how that will lessen the strain on the joint...

Anybody else experience anything similar? Any recommendations? I've been using a shorter paddle with an "ergo" bend, but had pulled out the Norse war club for the day I was a "guide" (huge blade, long shaft) which was probably a bad call.

I know, I know, "paddle more regularly!" Now I just need that on a note from my doctor...

This getting old sucks!

Scott

[jKelly-Rand]

Scott,
That symptom is new to me. I would think your shoulders would hurt before you would encounter injury to your fingers. If you have'nt been paddling much where do you blister? The Norse paddle can be pretty slippery, so I imagine you are gripping it tighter. I started using paddle wax this year and that has helped loosen my grip. I still get blisters on my pinky but that is'nt a big problem. If you have been a strong paddler in the past maybe your not gripping the paddle with all four fingers and putting most of the stress on the 3rd and 4th. Well thats all an untrained diagnosis has turned up. Hope more ? will provide more possible answers.

til next
Jim

[KNeal]

Ouch, Scott! That cannot have been any fun for you . When you posted about going back to your Norse, two questions popped into my mind: 1) is the shaft oval? 2) is the shaft narrower in diameter than the other ones you use?

In the first question, the oval design gives a more narrow surface area (there is most likely a better way to state that) which means more pressure is exerted against the fingers' joints that are wrapped around the elliptical part of the oval shaft during the pull stroke. In the second question, a more narrow shaft requires you to grip tighter (tighter contracting muscles CAN cause the tendon, and even the ligaments, to be over-tightened/over-stretched). There are better ways to phrase what I stated, but I hope you understand what I am saying. PADDLE MORE! Naw, it's probably the shaft's fault. BTW, I think the dr. meant "avulsion", but I like "expulsion" better ! Another method to help with gripping your shaft (aside from jKelly's interest in wax) is to wrap the shaft with electrical tape, starting at the throat and wrapping upward.

Let us know how well you can get back to pointing that middle finger .

KNeal

[sbroam]

You made sense just fine Kneal.

Until early summer, I had been using one of Maxwell's paddles which has almost a rectangular cross section and I wrapped it with electrical tape. Then I had to switch to a Grey Owl paddle for a couple of months while I procrastinated fixing the tip of Maxwell's paddle - the Grey Owl is wooden with a round shaft, not too narrow*. Both of these are pretty short - Maxwell had talked me into a shorter paddle, which I think should be putting less stress on the various joints.

I only use the Norse anymore when I think I'm going to be abusing a paddle - guiding a raft or canoe - and I've only used it 3-4 times this year. But on each occasion, I paddled pretty hard for quite a while... But yes, it has the narrow oval shaft and a bit longer than what I am now used to; the shaft is taped. Now I will think twice before digging it out... I'm doubly glad I fixed my Maxwell stick now, too. In fact, I think I have more reason to use the "nice" paddle when I'm anticipating a heavy day.

Thanks for your feed back.

Scott

* additional thought on paddle diameter - I've previously experienced discomfort using a paddle that has a large diameter shaft, I felt I couldn't get a good grip on it. I hadn't thought of it in terms of bearing surface, though. The rectangular cross section may have the benefit of putting the more area at the point of the "pull".

[Camille]

I don't really understand how you could have an avulsion when the cause is a chronic one-but my knowledge of injuries is still fairly basic (compared to Kneal).
It almost sounds like the bump is a bony growth. sometimes you're body "freaks out" in its attempt to protect an area that is overused and starts laying down extra bone. however- any injury is impossible to diagnose without actually examining it in person (my thoughts are purely speculation).
either way-if you still have a painful bump on your hand, i would try to protect it by putting a donut-shaped pad over the bump. this relieves the pressure on the bump and helps prevent further irritation (and pain!) take some old cell or something and cut it into a flat donut with a hole that fits the bump. you can hold it in place by slipping it into or glove or simply duct tape it in place (use #300547 for duct tape )
and it never hurts to ice the spot afterwards.
good luck
camille

[sbroam]

I don't understand either - the ring finger happened first and is not painful - it started smaller and has reduced in size, prehaps due to stretching/massage, perhaps due to the glucosamine. I'm not sure if there is something about my paddling style that stressed that finger more or differently than the other four.

The middle finger had no symptoms before that "fateful day", the one with the long, far more strenuous than normal paddling. That finger's problem might not be due to long term stress, but just that one day or maybe one particular incident that day. The knot there is bigger and it is painful when manipulated and when stressed.

The doc said both feel "cordy" and in his opinion are not "boney", discounting my initial theory that it was some sort of bone spur. Not sure how I could pad them donut style, because when I close my hand, the fleshy bit of my palm at the fingers "bunches up" right there.

I said a while back that if I ever got bored with paddling, if I ever got so good that this was no longer a challenge (ha!), I'd take up paddling lefty and that would keep me challenged for the next twenty years or so. I'm still a couple of decades away from mastering paddling righty, but maybe now I have another reason to switch sides, I'm wearing out the right side!

[Jim]

First thought- if you begin having problems opening and closing those fingers (that is, they get stiff or resist movement and then "snap" past the point of resistance) see a hand specialist ASAP. There are some disorders (i.e., de Quervin's disease) that can cause quite a bit of disability, and the earlier the treatment the better the results. If there is no snapping, do not worry.

Second thought- if you truly have an avulsion injury it is a case of the tendons not being up to the stresses you placed on them. That is, just like muscles, the tendons become weaker when not used. So paddling more MAY be better (to keep all of these structures strong enough).

Some strategies to reduce the stress on tendons:

1. Train into paddling. Build up slowly so that the muscles, tendons, etc. have time to become stronger.

2. Use a narrow shaft.

An earlier post stated "a more narrow shaft requires you to grip tighter." I disagree. Instability (unsteadiness) in the boat causes you to grip tighter, as does a lot of hole playing. However, you can generate a tighter grip on a larger diameter paddle. And just because you can, there is a tendancy to hold it tighter.

Also- avoid padded (soft) grips. There is also a tendancy to grip these more tightly.

Summary- smaller diameter may be better. Experiment, but err towards smaller.

3. Use a cheap paddle for training.

Cheap paddles tend to have smaller blades and more give (bend) to them, both of which reduce the stresses transferred to the hand/elbow/shoulder. Save the expensive, and rigid, paddles for races or trips and put those cheap paddles to use.

4. Finally- pay attention to technique. Small changes in wrist or hand position can significantly increase or decrease the stresses transferred through your arms. For example- paddling a wider boat will change your stroke, and that might trigger some problems.

Good luck,

Jim

[sbroam]

Jim -

Those are all good points, however, your reference to "training" made me laugh - if only! Do you train to be a hack paddler ?

First thought: No symptoms like that - just occasionally after a long tense run, something like tendonitis in the right elbow and some mild cramping of the same hand.

Second thought: I think laying off paddling, then a couple of episodes of strenuous paddling are consistent with that. Though not the same as paddling, I do have a rowing machine that can be used when I can't make it to the river...

1. Yup - will do, makes sense.

2. I already have a preference for narrower shafts - even though I have larger hands, I find that with a larger shaft, I can't "lock in" my grip. I find that I have to squeeze harder to get the same grip. With a narrower shaft, I seem to be able to get my fist "closed further"? Make sense to anyone else?

3. Point taken on flex and bade size. I used to use Carlisles as spare paddles in my open boat - my problem was that I kept breaking them - I guess that is toooo much flex... But, I have used them to experiment with shorter paddles and smaller blade sizes in the last year. I now primarily use wooden shafted paddles these days, in large part due to the flex and have cut some other paddle blades down.

4. Technique? Being 99% self taught, as are all of the C-boaters in my area, that could very well be a problem - I have no idea if I'm even close! Maybe I need some coaching - seriously. What would be a good way to do that?

And yep, about 80% of the time I have gotten out this year has been in great big old open boats, propelling if not dead weight, at least not helpful weight - kids! Sometimes several at a time! I'm sure my technique was not improved by that... And instead of using a smaller paddle, I used a bigger one! Furthermore, instead of using a flexy paddle, I used a stiff one! Ugh.

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and opinions. I'm going to start paying better attention to how I'm paddling and, hopefully, do it more often!

Scott