Injuries

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Climbing places severe mechanical strain on the body and as a result many (if not all) of climbers will experience some type of injury. Whether you hurt an ankle in a fall or hear a pop in your finger while bouldering, your recovery time depends on understanding what exactly happened, how long you should take it easy, and if any surgical intervention is necessary. Note that this site is not a substitute for an orthopaedic examination but only an attempt to help you make autonomous decisions regard your own health. The site also aims to assist you in preventing some of the chronic problems that face climbers. Either click on the Vitruvian Man or the left hand column to search articles of interest.

Common Climbing Injuries:
1) Head Injuries
2) Neck
3) Hand Injuries: Ruptured pulleys
4) Broken Bones: ankles, feet, legs
5) Shoulder injuries
6) Foot Problems: Deformities due to climbing shoes
7) Knee injuries
8) Back problems
9) Tendonitis
10) Skin damage: Rope burns, flappers, etc

In a study conducted by Hochholzer and Schoeffl¹:
- 80% of injuries involve the upper body
- 50% are in the Hands
- 69% were overuse syndromes and 31% were acute injuries
- Of 284 climbers: 22 needed surgery because of fractures, tendon injuries, or nerve compression syndromes
- Of 284 climbers: 16 complained of recurrent back pain
- Of 284 climbers: 31 had increased muscle tension along the spine
- Of 284 climbers: 5 had spinal surgery for herniated disc (nucleus pulposus prolaps)
- Most Frequent injury: Ruptured pulley
- Most Frequent Overuse Syndrome: Tendovaginitis of the fingers
- A marked increase in shoulder and feet problems

The majority of the medical information contained on this site comes directly from the medical literature and as a result citations can be found at the end of each article.
1. Hochholzer, Schoeffl. One Move Too Many...