Bending your fingers in the wrong direction or bending them too far can cause injury. This is very common for climbers. It might be so difficult for them to move their injured finger due to the intense pain they experience. So if you also go through with this injury right now, including any thumb problems, this blog post is for you. Read below about how to deal with thumb and finger hyperextension. 

Warm-Up Exercises

Flexion and Extension of the Fingers

Make your fingers point toward the ceiling, which is called extension, and roll the tips of all fingers down slowly to make a fist, which is called flexion. Then, repeat the process. This is the flexion and extension of the fingers in the sagittal plane. 

Flexion and Extension of the Thumb

With your fingers pointing to the ceiling, bend your thumb across your palm touching the base of your little finger. This is called flexion. After that, straighten your thumb back to its original position, which is called extension. Then, repeat the process. 

Thumb Abduction and Adduction

Thumb abduction and adduction are different. You have to point your thumb and fingers straight up. Pull the thumb away from your palm, which is abduction, and gently put it back to its original position, which is adduction. Then, repeat the process. This is the flexion and extension of the thumb in the coronal plane

Finger Opposition and Reposition

Opposition happens when the tip of the thumb touches the tip of another finger in the same hand. Then, you do the reposition when you put back your finger and thumb to their original positions. This is the opposition and reposition of the fingers in the transverse plane. 

Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) and Radial Collateral Ligament (RCL)

People have two ligaments attached to their thumbs. One is called Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL), and the other one is called Radial Collateral Ligament (RCL). Your UCL is on the inside and your RCL is on the outside of your thumb. Please know that it’s more common for the UCL to get injured than the RCL. So if you're feeling some tenderness or maybe some pain in the UCL, that would be indicative of a UCL injury. For you to know more about it, you need to see a physical therapist or somebody who specializes in this type of injury.

Thumb and Finger Exercises: 9-Way Finger Push-Ups

Use your fingers to do wall push-ups but always make sure that they are in the right position to start, they bend, and none of them hyperextend.

Here are the steps to follow in the 9-way finger push-ups. 

• Do regular wall push-ups.
• Stagger the stance. 
• Switch the staggered stance. 
• Turn your hands out.
• Stagger the stance.
• Switch the staggered stance. 
• Position your hands pointed in.
• Stagger the stance. 
• Switch the staggered stance. 

Make sure to listen to your body. If the position is too intense for you, you can step closer to the wall. That would put more weight on your legs. However, if you find it easy, you can always change your position and angle your body in a way that will put more pressure on your fingers. Just always remember that while you’re doing this, make sure that your fingers and thumbs are in the proper position. 

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