Rock Climbing Injuries

Zi Yun competing

This is the second time rock climbing is contested at the Olympics since its debut at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. For those who are not familiar, the three climbing disciplines include lead climbing, speed climbing, and bouldering. They are designed to challenge endurance, speed, and power, respectively.

Climbing gyms in Singapore has more than doubled since 2018, with nearly 40 climbing facilities now available. Contrary to popular belief, climbing is not only a physical sport that emphasizes on strength and technique, but also a test of mental tenacity. It demands problem solving skills, focus, composure, and resilience, whether you are a serious climber or just climbing recreationally. 

In a study on 436 climbers, 77.1% of the injuries affected the upper extremities, 17.7% lower extremities and 5.2% other body regions (Lutter et al, 2020). The most frequent injuries were finger pully injuries and finger tenosynovitis.

Bouldering has caused more acute injuries than rope-protected climbing. There are more knee injuries and shoulder dislocations. Young climbers were found to have more finger growth plate injuries.

There were also higher incidences of upper extremity injuries in bouldering (Kovářová et al, 2024). especially to the hands, fingers, wrists, and elbows.

Lead climbers had a broader range of injuries, including head, shoulder, and foot related injuries.

Traditional climbing (done outdoors in the natural environment) often results in more severe injuries involving long falls. Interestingly it's not personal characteristics (gender, age, weight or height) but human factors like concentration and fatigue that had significant impact on the number and severity of injuries  (Kovářová et al, 2024).

Just like other sports, if you increase your climbing intensity too quickly, have large muscle strength imbalances and rest insufficiently, you have a much higher chance of sustaining an injury. Many climbers do not rest or stop due to a fear of losing strength, leading to a decline in performance.

According to published studies, only 36% of injured climbers seek medical help. While some injuries were unavoidable, many were caused by the climbing culture of training with injuries and disregarding the need for recovery. This issue is compounded by insufficient knowledge on training and recovery, and ignorance. Many climbers also take injuries lightly and try to return to climbing too quickly.

However, you do not always have to completely stay off the wall or away from climbing related activities to recover. Modifications and other compensatory mechanisms can be done to your climbing session to achieve the same results. 

In order to attain climbing longevity, climbers need to be aware of the risks they are taking  and maintain appropriate recovery measures. If you are injured and unsure on how to go about your training, do come and see us for a thorough assessment, we will plan your treatment according to your concerns and goals. We promise to do our best to get you back strong on the wall as soon as possible.

*This week's post is written by Zi Yun (paper cloud), one of our new physiotherapists. She is a super rock climber. She wins most if not all the local rock climbing competitions and more. Having started climbing seven years ago, she has encountered many climbing related injuries and can defintely treat you if you are injured. Above pictures by Zi Yun.

References

Kovářová M, Pyszko P, and Kikalová K. (2024). Analyzing Injury Patterns in Climbing: A Comprehensive Study Of Risk factors. Sports, 12(2), 61. DOI: 10.3390/sports12020061

Lutter C, Tischer T, Hotfield T et al (2020). Current Trends In Sport Climbing Injuries After The Inclusion Into The Olympic Program. Analysis of 633 Injuries within the years 2017/18. Mus, Ligs Tendons J. 10(2), 201. DOI: 10.32098/mltj.02.2020.06