Finger taping
Before I get into this post I need to stress from the out set that I am NOT a qualified physiotherapist nor am I a Hand Specialist.
Over the past few years I have continually suffered with my fingers, not only through BJJ but general use also. I have concluded that the majority of damage was done during my time in the Royal Marines with the 'final nail in the coffin' coming from BJJ. It is evident to everyone who partakes in BJJ that the use of ones hands is very important. Many people would assume that being a BJJ practitioner (Judo - even more so) our grip strength is superior. Research however has found that this in fact is not the case - what is evident though is that our ability to maintain a grip is greater and our grip strength fatigues at a significantly slower rate (F = 4.253; P = 0.046; η2 = 0.101 - Ache Dias et al, 2012). Granted I have digressed away from what I intend this blog to be, but I wanted to suppress a slight myth whilst on the subject.
Personally, my issues seem to be getting worse. I have been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis and currently take 2000mg Omega 3 along with 2000mg of Glucosamine (Chemist Direct being a good and cheap place to obtain them from). To date this has had no overwhelmingly positive effect, however it has only been 2 weeks - and tests indicate a term of 3/4 weeks before improvements are seen/felt. I wake in the morning with a locked hand and spend roughly 5 to 10 minutes slowly working the blood back into my hands. It is painful but not excruciating, more uncomfortable! So you can see that this is effecting me not only for BJJ but away from it.
I have sought advise from my peers and changing the way I fight is one recommendation (which I am currently trying) and taping my fingers. The later is where I am going to suggest a thing or two. Firstly, although the tape is important it is NOT the be all and end all. You can spend in excess of £5 per roll if you wish however £1.50 is enough. From reading and viewing various tutorials on the subject of finger taping I soon discovered that it's not really the tape that matters but the way in which you tape your finger. Far to often have I seen and done the standard 'go round the finger 10 times' jobby for it to simply fall off within 5 minutes. After learning how to tape my fingers properly the tape ALWAYS stays on and in fact is a pain in the ar*e to get off at the end of the session.
So below I have put up what I believe to be the best tutorial online for BJJ finger taping.
I accept that this may not be the tidiest of examples but I don't think that really matters. What this does do is support the finger by increasing the link from knuckle to finger thus reducing the risk of separation and further damage.
So, does it work. Well I still have issues with my fingers and taping was NEVER going to solve that, but it has helped support my fingers more. With the changes I am introducing into my game and taping (along with supplements) they are better then a 3 weeks ago (again as noted above, not overwhelmingly).
This is where I get my tape from and not only are they extremely competitive for price the service is fantastic and delivery quick - First Aid 4 Sport
What I have gained from experience is to look after your hands. Keep them warm when it is cold, exercise and if required tape them correctly. DON'T leave it to late, believe me it's a pain!!
Reference:
J, Ache Dias., Wentz, M., Kulkamp, M., Mettos, D., Goethel, M., and Borges Junior, N. (2012), 'Is Handgrip Strength Performance Better in Judokas than in Non-Judokas?', Science and Sport, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 9-14.