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Climbing Injuries, Sports Medicine

Ilona Barash, MD, PhD, CAQSM Reviewed 04/2019
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Rock climbing is becoming more mainstream with the range of climbing styles, including competitive indoor climbing and outdoor pursuits such as bouldering, sport climbing, and tradit...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Sudden versus gradual onset

  • May report hearing or feeling a “pop” if finger pulley rupture with sudden pain and reduced grip strength

PHYSICAL EXAM

  • Pain and tenderness palmar aspect of p...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Conservative measures usually work.

  • Relative rest

  • Taping (see below)

  • Progressive resistance training

  • Climber’s media (magazines and Web sites) and fellow climbers are full of reh...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Consider taping for prolonged period after injury.

  • Physical therapy and strengthening exercises can continue indefinitely:

    • Finger tendon glides (gradual flexion of ...

REFERENCES

1
Woollings KY, McKay CD, Emery CA. Risk factors for injury in sport climbing and bouldering: a systematic review of the literature. Br J Sports Med.  2015;49(17):1094–1099.
2
Schöffl V, ...

ADDITIONAL READING

Gnecchi S, Moutet F. Hand and Finger Injuries in Rock Climbers. New York, NY: Springer; 2015. 

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Finger pulley injuries are a relatively common, climbing-specific injury.

  • Most will respond well to conservative therapy.

  • Refer the high-grade/grade 4 injuries to a hand surgeon for eval...

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