Old Forum Hand care (Paul Sellers)

[Paul Sellers]

I did something stupid. I picked at a callus in the metacarpal area and tore the damn thing off. It's not a bad wound, but badly placed exactly over the joint. Does anyone know how long the healing process usually takes and is there anything I can do to accelerate it?

I've tried padding and dressing it but can't grip the bell properly. Any advice appreciated.

 

[skajfez]

Not totally sure on any advice for you. But adding to this-- I know we cannot wear gloves or support wraps for the test, but can we tape??

 

[lsalasl]

Paul, I'm sure the healing process varies a lot but I'd expect something like a week of healing. The only tip I know (besides proper nutrition and sleep, which I believe helps everything) is to try Burt's Bees hand salve. It's a lot like specialty hand balm products made for climbers but easier to find and cheaper. Or you could try one of those products for climbers.

Samantha, not sure about the test rules but I'd consider whether a technique adjustment could fix the problem. If you're talking about snatching, learning proper "drop and catch" technique (which is a pretty subtle adjustment) can make a huge difference!

 

[Anna C]

Samantha, if you asking about the snatch test at SFG cert... this is how it was in Chicago this past weekend:  tape was only allowed if there were open wounds, and had to be examined/approved by Team Leader prior to taping.  Of course prevention is best, and "sock sleeves" on Day 1 and 2 helped a lot (and were encouraged) in order to preserve the hands for Day 3.  This is basically just a 2 or 3 inch piece cut from an athletic sock cuff, placed around the hand at the top of the palm and bottom of the fingers.

Paul, good luck with the healing... the sock sleeves might help here too, once it is healed enough.

 

[JamesO]

Bummer!  I had one rip off last Mon after some long-cycle work followed by pull-ups.  It was tender on Wed, good to go by Thurs.  They've taken much longer in the past.  This time I applied Neosporin under a band-aid after finishing the workout.  I took the band-aid off when we went to sleep, but I applied another layer of Neosporin.  I did another band-aid with Neosporin when I woke up, but let it breath when the band-aid naturally fell off.

When I worked out on Wednesday, I put a band-aid on for cushion then taped over it.  It was tender during cleans, but fine for everything else.

I've generally been wearing grips from The Natural Grip over the past few months and really like them.  Sometimes they're annoying and I take them off.  Such was the case Mon after the long-cycle stuff.  I jumped up on the pull-up bar, did a set of 10, and came down without the callous.

 

[Paul Sellers]

Thanks to all for your advice. A week doesn't sound tooooo bad. Nutrition isn't a problem but sleep is a luxury with a two year old boy stampeding about the place. I've heard of Neosporin before - I'll have to see if I can get hold of some, likewise the Burt's Bees (must be wax-based?). Thanks again to all 8O)