By: Rani Helvey-Byers, PT, DPT, OCS As climbers, we like to torture our shoulders by placing them in extreme positions and then asking them to generate an immense amount of force in said positions. Because of this, we can’t just train our shoulders in one plane. If we want resilient shoulders, we need to at...
By: Erica Tran, PT, DPT, OCS and Megan Davis, PT, DPT OCS Training for 26.2 in Lafayette, Colorado? Discover why shoulder stability will likely determine performance in the CrossFit Open and how to prepare with targeted mobility and strength drills. If you’re preparing for 26.2 in the CrossFit Open, there’s one performance factor that will...
By: Megan Davis, PT, DPT, OCS A common question I get asked when I am working out at CrossFit or working with my patients who also participate in Crossfit is how to keep our shoulders more stable to withstand the demands of CrossFit? It is recommended to have at least 1-3 strict pull ups before...
By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS If you’ve undergone shoulder stabilization surgery, you know the “waiting game” is the hardest part of the approach. For climbers in Boulder, Lafayette, and Longmont, being sidelined while the rest of the crew is at the local crag or the gym is a mental battle. Traditionally, surgeons rely on...
Shoulder pain is a very common issue for rock climbers, largely because climbing places high and repetitive demands on the shoulder’s muscles, tendons, and joint structures. The most frequent causes include rotator cuff problems (such as tendinopathy, strain, or tears), subacromial impingement, and biceps tendinopathy — injuries that arise from both acute sudden movements and chronic...
By: John Crawley, PT, DPT, OCS A good functioning shoulder is essential to a climber’s performance. When the shoulder is healthy, reaching for holds and holding strenuous positions feels secure. Whether you’re yarding on a deep lock-off at the gym, pressing out a corner in Eldo, or snatching holds during big deadpoints while in Rocky...
Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek care from their primary care physician and Physical Therapist. The most common shoulder diagnosis among these patients is impingement. This diagnosis occurs when soft tissue structures in the shoulder, such as the rotator cuff, are compressed between the bones of the shoulder. Although a...
MRI technology continues to improve with each new version in the market place. These improvements have allowed the imaging technology to better define the structures in the body. In the musculoskeletal system these technologies have allowed clinicians to identify injured tissues which may contribute to a patient’s painful presentation. MRIs have also been shown to...
The shoulder is an integral component of a climber’s ability to scale walls efficiently and effectively. It allows for an incredible range of motion that makes spanning large distances and cramming yourself into cracks possible. However, the same mobility that makes it so valuable also makes it susceptible to injury. Shoulder issues account for 17%...
Dr. Ian Nay, PT, DPT, OCS Shoulder pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders that we see at MEND, and in fact, will affect about 25% of all individuals at some point in their lives (1). Pain-relieving injections such as cortisone or corticosteroids have traditionally been used as a first-line treatment for shoulder...