I should have known better. It was my first day in Hueco Tanks and I managed to strain my left ring finger pulley by yarding too hard on the small crimps on Right Martini, one of the steepest boulder problems in the park. Bummed and in pain, I shared my sorrows with Steffen Kern, the editor of the German climbing magazine Klettern. He pulled a small cloth pouch from his pocket and handed me a spiky ring that looked like twisted paper clips. He told me to run it back and forth across my pulley for a few minutes. "I'll try anything," I said. At first, the somewhat obscene motion was awkward. Then I felt a rush of blood that relieved the piercing pain. "I want you to keep it," he said. This gift changed my life.

Two more finger injuries later, I swear by the finger massage ring. This Chinese Medicine acupressure ring is made of durable stainless steel in a flexible construction that stretches to fit snugly over all finger sizes. Whether it's a strain or a complete rupture, the prickly weave stimulates blood flow to this otherwise restricted area. It's best to heat up the site of injury with warm water and then massage several times per day. What I like most is that it fits in my pocket and has become a sort of habit to use before and after climbing, while I sit at my computer or watch a movie. Every practitioner has their own prescribed treatment. But for the price of a fancy coffee, it's worth a try.

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