Common Injuries in Bouldering/Climbing
Did you know?
The prevalence of injuries can vary widely based on factors such as climbing style, technique, frequency and individual climber characteristics
The 2 main factors leading to injuries from climbing and bouldering are:
Impact upon landing following a fall
Over straining you tendons, ligaments and muscles from repeated movements
Consequence
Typically results in lower body injuries
Typically causing upper body injuries
Cause
Impact upon landing following a fall
Overstraining/overuse of tendons, ligaments and muscles
They most commonly involve the hand/fingers, wrist, ankle and feet.
Some common injuries are:
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How: Occurs when a finger tendon is strained by bearing your body weight, often caused by dynamic movements or crimping.
Example: Such injuries frequently happen when using one or two fingers in a pocket or holding onto a small grip using fingertip pressure.
Sign: Often accompanied by a distinct popping sound and sensation, immediate pain ensues, followed by subsequent swelling.
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How: occurs when you overextend the shoulder’s ball joint too forward,
Example: reaching for a handhold which involves a sudden pull or jerk on the arm while it’s extended overhead or away from the body
Sign: shoulder instability, sharp pain felt in the back of the shoulder.
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How: tears in the stabilising muscles in the shoulder
Example: Over time, the cumulative stress from performing repetitive movements, such as reaching for holds and pulling on the wall, can lead to wear and tear on the rotator cuff tendons.
Sign: pain when moving the arm or shoulder (may be felt at rest and during activity), difficulty lifting your arm fully, rotating it or reaching behind your back
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How: inflammation or irritation of a tendon
Example: Holding onto small, awkwardly shaped holds or using poor climbing technique can place extra stress on specific tendons
Sign: dull aching pain and can also be accompanied by swelling and loss in range of motion.
In climbers, tendonitis most often occurs in the shoulders, elbow and forearms.
• tennis elbow
• jumper’s knee
• pitcher’s shoulder
But you can link it to any other part of your bodies as tendonitis is a result of pulling on the same muscles and stems from repetitive movements. It can start from an immediate trauma and can worsen over time. It’s important to treat it seriously so that it doesn’t develop into a tendon rupture which could require surgery.
Wearing compression sleeves and braces may be helpful by providing additional support to reduce the likelihood of injuries. Compression sleeves are commonly used to improve blood circulation and promote the healing of injured soft tissues.
In most cases, best practice is to do dynamic stretches before beginning your climb and work your way slowly in terms of intensity and difficulty of the climb to warm up your muscles, which then reduces the likelihood of injury.
Disclaimer: Although the use of sports braces can assist you in your sporting performance, a well-tailored exercise program is important to address your underlying conditions. You should seek professional advice from your medical doctor.