Reddit reviews Make or Break: Don't Let Climbing Injuries Dictate Your Success

Check out this video

Then check out this and this articles

Then check out this book

I've dealt with it for about three years now. The good news is you can keep pushing yourself and it wont limit you if you are proactive towards it. The not so good news is it's close to impossible to 100% get rid of it. I hope it goes well for you!

I'm a rehab based Chiropractor and treating climbers is a large part of my practice. A few years ago I was looking for something similar as I know there are seminars/certifications for golf, running, lifting etc - but couldn't find anything solid for climbers. My best advice is pick up some climbing injury books and start there. I listed the books I own below in order of my preference. I second u/wristrule's recommendation of make it or break it and checking out Training Beta. They have PTs/Chiros/Trainers/Coaches talk about injuries and prevention. Follow those people and their professional work as they all have blogs, books, videos etc.

As far as research goes, there is actually a decent body of evidence but sample sizes of the studies tend to be small. The best collection of climbing research in one place is probably The Beta Angel Project https://beta-angel.com/research/research-inventory It is sorted into categories which is a nice touch. Also you can pubmed search 'rock climbing' and there are a bunch of studies there.

Here are the books I own and recommend:

https://www.amazon.com/Make-Break-Climbing-Injuries-Dictate/dp/0956428134

https://www.amazon.com/Climbing-Injuries-Solved-Lisa-Erikson/dp/0692296646/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535818900&sr=1-5&keywords=rock+climbing+injuries

https://www.amazon.com/Climb-Injury-Free-Dr-Jared-Vagy/dp/0692831894/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1535818900&sr=1-2&keywords=rock+climbing+injuries

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Theres a few more books out but I haven't checked them out just yet.

Hope this helps you help other climbers!

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In a way, you answered your own question

> Now I'm skittish about getting advice from someone who may not truly be an expert.

When climbing and the world of orthopedics/sports medicine need to intersect, specialization is the key to finding the right physician/therapist. Was the individual you saw a hand specialist? This is critical. The hand is extremely complex, intricate, and unique. The same thing should be said about the shoulder, and hip, and knee etc. This is why great orthopedic surgeons focus on specific anatomical structures in their practice.

To further complicate things, many climbing injuries are not common place, and truthfully, not that severe or interesting. Your low grade pulley injury is about as boring as it gets when compared to the vast number of other traumas/diagnoses out there. Additionally, these types of injuries have virtually no impact on daily function (yes, climbing, but can you feed, dress, wipe yourself?....most likely) so research specifically addressing these type of "minor" injuries just isn't done. Therefore, it is certainly understandable that a non-hand specialist, non-climber physician would have little to no understanding of what your injury is/was, nor the exceptional forces finger pulleys endure during climbing and might have suggested a premature return to activity. Furthermore, you must ask yourself, "Did I go too hard too soon in returning to activity? Did I listen to my body/pain? or push through?" When in doubt, always listen to your body.

But all hope is not lost! If you are climbing injured enough that you feel the need to seek treatment: find a physician that specializes in that joint and make sure you get a referral to rehab (more to come on that). If you are unable to access a specialist and/or you are getting a "how about a cortisone shot/ just rest it for a while/ pick a different sport" type of answer that you are not satisfied with, get yourself a referral to a certified hand therapist CHT immediately. This is an OT or PT with advanced training, and passion for UE rehabilitation, especially the hand, elbow, shoulder girdle and neck (and if you're lucky enough to find one that is also a climber consider yourself part of the 1%). Any CHT should be able to suspect low grade pulley injuries through history and symptom reproduction (a CHT does not "diagnose," physicians do that) and give you realistic expectations/ activity limitations-modifications/ pain relieving strategies/ rehabilitation exercises.

All that said, if you have damaged a pulley to a degree that does not warrant surgical intervention, there is not a lot anyone can do you magically "fix" you finger fast. The readily available information in books and on informed climbing oriented web pages will suffice for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of many of internet forum finger injuries.

Take home message: listen to your body, if it "hurts real bad," is deformed, extra loose, extra swollen, missing etc. go see a specialist ASAP. But while you are waiting, become your own "expert" so you can properly advocate for the correct medical services you need.

9 Out of 10 Climbers Make the Same Mistakes by Dave MacLeod gives a good overview of common bad habits/practices a lot of climbers make, and how to avoid them.

It's a good book for gaining a bit more overall awareness of how best to approach getting better at climbing, rather than just throwing yourself at harder and harder climbs until you can do them.

He also has a second book called Make or Break, which is centred around common climbing related injuries and how to avoid them (or recover from them).

I am just browsing this thread a little late but you sound like the perfect candidate to read Dave Macleod's Make or Break book. I had sporadic injuries (climbers elbow, shoulder impingement, the usual A2 pulley strains) and picked up this book after a recommendation from someone on /r/climbing and it had everything you need to know about training to prevent all sorts of climbing injuries (as well as rehab training too). Can't recommend this book enough.

link

I'll check that out. Thanks!

I found this book to be useful. Specifically the chapter on rehabilitation after tendon injuries. It's not all that accessible to the community though, both financially and in terms of practical knowledge. I think there is definitely needing to be written if you can stomach another one.

This book is geared towards climbing injuries but it is well written and decently digestible. If there was something more complete in terms of a gymnastic perspective, I would buy it in a heart beat.

Edit: Didn't realize you were a climber too Steve. Sorry if you were already aware of those books. Just trying to pass along the little I've learned. Thanks again for all the great info in your book(s), website, and on here!

come join us over in /r/climbharder. We get deep into details just like this, and many other things you'll encounter as you start training.

I'd recommend getting a book or two on climbing training and injury rehab before starting any hangboarding. Look at it as educating yourself before beginning something that has potential to cause injury.

The Rock Climber's Training Manual is great, as is Dave MacLeoud's Make or Break

Best of luck to you!