Issues with fingers after gi training
4 month(s) ago • 770 views • 16 replies
Anyone else have bad issues with their fingers after training in the gi? As a therapist, I basically type notes to submit to insurance to make a living. I know anyone that does this long enough has to deal with arthritic fingers. I'm already taking glucosamine and I'm trying to avoid taping up my hands like a psycho (It annoys me when rolling). Anyone else have tips to reduce pain and swelling in their fingers? |
"Anyone else have bad issues with their fingers after training in the gi? As a therapist, I basically type notes to submit to insurance to make a living. I know anyone that does this long enough has to deal with arthritic fingers. I'm already taking glucosamine and I'm trying to avoid taping up my hands like a psycho (It annoys me when rolling). Anyone else have tips to reduce pain and swelling in their fingers?" I’ve had major surgery on the fingers of my right hand, pins, micro repairs, reconstruction… the full package. Every time I step on the mat, I tape my fingers. When done correctly, it helps protect the joints and reduce stress. One issue I’ve noticed is that some tape tends to peel off mid-roll or just doesn’t hold up. It’s frustrating, but manageable. What’s made a big difference for me is learning to modify my grip, keeping it looser when needed. If you grip like you’re hanging off a cliff, you’re asking for joint trauma. And I never stopped doing daily finger stretches. They’ve helped improve ligament flexibility and reduce inflammation over time. Small habits, big impact. |
I used to have the same issues. Both the pain and the tape rolling off. This video helped with how to tape. I just use the x pattern method he shows on each finger but don't tape them together. https://www.youtube.com/w[...]mIUEDdFWak Johnson and Johnson Coach tape will stand up to a full class and or open mat and very rarely unravels at all. When it does it's just the tail. I keep the tail of the tape on top of the base of each finger. |
"I used to have the same issues. Both the pain and the tape rolling off. This video helped with how to tape. I just use the x pattern method he shows on each finger but don't tape them together. https://www.youtube.com/w[...]mIUEDdFWak Johnson and Johnson Coach tape will stand up to a full class and or open mat and very rarely unravels at all. When it does it's just the tail. I keep the tail of the tape on top of the base of each finger." I’ve used the X-pattern for years, and it works great for me. You mentioned the tail of the tape in your post, that’s a solid point I had forgotten. For me the tail ends up on the top or bottom, it tends to roll up during training. What works best for me is placing the tail between two fingers, and it stays put. My go to tape is Bighorn Athletix. |
This is just an anecdotal observation on my part, but I think most people have finger problems because they grip the gi with their fingers instead of their hands. By that I mean they rely primarily on the joints nearest their finger tips to establish a grip instead of the joints farther from their finger tips and closer to their hands. |
Overall my fingers are pretty good. Of course I have broken or sprained the ligaments multiple times on most of my fingers and toes, but aside from when they are actively healing, I don't really need to tape them. I think it's because of what Joe said. When I grip, I use my whole hand whenever possible. |
I think what makes it worse is that I have had this issue for about a decade where my fingers get stuck bent and I need to use my other hand to unlock my fingers so they open. It creates a bunch of swelling and pain. The tape helps a bit, but I get so frustrated with it because once the swelling starts it cuts off the circulation. Maybe I'm just being a bit of a bitch about it. Wouldn't be the first time. Like all my other issues, the answer is probably surgery, but they cant recommend it if I don't go to the doctor :) |
"I think what makes it worse is that I have had this issue for about a decade where my fingers get stuck bent and I need to use my other hand to unlock my fingers so they open. It creates a bunch of swelling and pain. The tape helps a bit, but I get so frustrated with it because once the swelling starts it cuts off the circulation. Maybe I'm just being a bit of a bitch about it. Wouldn't be the first time. Like all my other issues, the answer is probably surgery, but they cant recommend it if I don't go to the doctor :)" Keep a bucket of Ice near the MAT!! and deal with it!!! LMAO |
Also, I grip, as a child learns to grip, with my bottom three digits, so that I may tsuri-te, and higi-te, fit, pivot, and all the rest, as I fall, my foot, having landed last, Rejecting stability, For mobility, That curious Power, To become, A fulcrum, A driver, Of these vectors, Riding that roller coaster all the way down, All of our breaths, quite taken away. With no foot, Of that four legged beast, Touching Ground, Antaeus denied. To become that perfect State: Of I throw, or I am thrown. Either way, I will have nothing left, and be fully satisfied. I shall see the Lights, or the Stars. |
When I used to do more gi, my fingers were always sore. My main issue was that I would strongly grip fight and not concede good grips. This would often lead to sweeps and submissions in the gym but lead to inflammation and sustained pain. My coach and I had many conversations about it. He didn’t have great advice because he too would often prioritizing winning and keeping grips at all costs. He did say that I could model a games based upon Jean Jacque Machado which emphasized no gi gripping, which I tried but found it put me at a disadvantage with good training partners (which wasn’t a good reason for working on it more). But he also told me that he was in chronic finger pain, and many of his finger joints were permanently swollen. For a while, I would tape often which helped and used the various finger sleeves, which all worked great. Over time, the things that helped me the most was doing more no gi, be willing to give up grips quicker and stopping certain gripping patterns/positions such as spider and lasso guard and certain loop choke variations. I still use gi grips though just not all of them. Overall at this stage in my training, I am willing to give up some of my competitive advantages for longer time in the sport and being more healthy long term, which is why I personally have stopped inverting as well. |
We're always taught and way i teach is to not to death grip the gi wich happens alot even if do strengthen your grip and to use and switch grips like from monkey grip to pistol grip for gi plus if you do no gi it helps to transfer that to gi with cupping, meat hooks, gable grips so not always realying on those grips. My grand Master with age has switched to doing that and just open palm controls when on top positions instead of grips do to arthritis even with taping properly. |
