Plyometrics are a type of exercise that involve explosive, high-intensity movements and are often used in sports training and rehabilitation programs for many types of overhead athletes, but not often enough for rock climbers. They can be an effective way to improve muscle power, speed, and coordination, and can be especially useful in helping athletes...
Tendon pain and injuries are very common in rock climbers because of the repetitive stress that is placed on our muscles/tendons with this sport. Tendon injuries have previously been diagnosed as tendonitis and were believed to be marked by an inflammatory process in the tissue. Our current knowledge on these injuries has been improved by...
It may not seem obvious, but weakness in our hips can lead directly to shoulder pain while climbing. Because climbing requires the use of all extremities simultaneously, impairments in one region of the body almost always have a direct impact on the other extremities. One of the most common, but seldom recognized, patterns is the...
Rock climbing requires extensive strength of the shoulder and scapular stabilizer muscles. Having good strength to these muscles not only helps with climbing performance but also with injury prevention. During arm movements, a relative ratio of degree measurements occurs between the ball and socket of the shoulder and the shoulder blade on the rib cage....
The subscapularis is the largest and strongest of the rotator cuff muscles. Its primary function is shoulder internal rotation and it plays a critical role in stabilizing the front aspect of the shoulder during climbing movements. The subscapularis is the least commonly injured muscle of the rotator cuff, but is still prone to pain and...
Shoulder pain is a common problem among rock climbers. It affects 2/3 of adults and is one of the top three reasons patients will seek care from a primary care physician or Physical Therapist. The most probable reason for shoulder pain remains rotator cuff pain including impingement, rotator cuff tendon pain, and rotator cuff tears....