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...
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....
“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...
Shoulder strength and stability is crucial in rock climbing for both performance and injury prevention. There are many different ways to assess shoulder strength, stability and function. The findings of these assessments can give us insights into right to left imbalances and can tell us which muscle groups we need to target in a rehabilitation...
The serratus anterior muscle is located on the side of your chest and attaches your scapula to your ribs. The purpose of this muscle is to stabilize the scapula, especially during overhead movements. Its specific actions are scapular upward rotation and protraction which are important movements for many movements in rock climbing. Weakness of the...
Rotator cuff injuries are one of the most common reasons patients seek care for their shoulder pain. Injuries range from less severe cases of impingement and rotator cuff tendinopathy to more severe injuries such as rotator cuff tears. These tears can be either traumatic or atraumatic in nature depending on the patient’s history. Previous research...
