We have seen countless cases in our Boulder and Lafayette physical therapy offices of clients presenting with reports of a “knot” next to their shoulder blade that in many cases has often been massaged, needled, scraped or mashed to death with no lasting relief of symptoms. Scapular or shoulder blade pain is a classic sign...
The vast majority of musculoskeletal conditions and diagnoses are not life threatening or time sensitive and allow for conservative treatments, including Physical Therapy, to be utilized prior to surgery. In our Boulder Physical Therapy practice we commonly see outcomes consistent with the current research on the utilization of Physical Therapy instead of surgery for common...
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....
Rotator cuff repair is a common surgical procedures for middle to older age adults who reports shoulder pain and significant limitations in daily and recreational activities despite a course of early Physical Therapy. Early treatment by a Boulder Physical Therapist can prevent the need for surgery after a rotator cuff diagnosis, but in some individuals...
The rotator cuff is an essential group of muscles that stabilize the shoulder during overhead movements such as the tennis serve. These muscles are commonly injured by tennis players and weakness of the rotator cuff can lead to multiple shoulder pathologies such as impingement (subacromial pain syndrome), biceps tendinopathy, and glenohumeral joint sensitivity. The muscles...
“Chicken-winging” is a movement that every climber experiences. It is defined as a pattern of movement where the elbows raise to the sides instead of being tucked down closer to the chest. This compensation shows up when we’re fatigued and climbing near our limit. We all get told to avoid this position but many of...
The rotator cuff is an essential group of muscles that stabilize the shoulder during climbing movements. These muscles are commonly injured by rock climbing and weakness of the rotator cuff can lead to multiple shoulder pathologies such as impingement (subacromial pain syndrome), biceps tendinopathy, and glenohumeral joint sensitivity. The muscles that we treat most commonly...
The trapezius is a large muscle that extends from the base of the skull, down to the T12 vertebra, and out to the scapula and clavicle. This muscle plays a crucial role in performance and injury prevention for rock climbers. Its function is to stabilize the scapula during shoulder movements such as the pull up,...
The best predictor of whether or not you will get an injury from rock climbing is whether or not you’ve had a climbing injury previously. Having an injury to a particular body region makes you 6 times more likely to have another injury to that region. So the best way to avoid injuries from climbing...
The pectoralis minor muscle is situated on the front of the chest and attaches the scapula to the rib cage. When this muscle becomes chronically tight it can pull the scapula anteriorly, creating a posture where the shoulders are rounded forward. This posture is often seen in rock climbers and tightness of the pec minor...