Like anyone who trains hard, most climbers pick up an injury at some point. Climbing carries real risk, but good gear and smart habits keep the damage low, and most tweaks are preventable. This guide walks through climbing injuries and prevention in plain terms, so you can catch the warning signs early and keep sending.
A lot of the most common problems come from overuse or from muscles that pull harder on one side than the other. What follows comes from research and years around the wall, but I am not a doctor, so if something hurts, please see a physio or a sports doc before you push through it. Here are the five injuries climbers run into most, and what you can do to head them off.
Finger Pulley Flexors
Finger injuries are usually tendon related and come from overuse. According to this study on what type of climbers get injured most frequently, fingers top the list. The main culprit is crimping and leaning too hard on your finger flexors. If you keep climbing through hand pain, you are much more likely to damage a pulley. According to Climbing.com, the most common pulley injury shows up as pain at the base of the finger that you notice when you try to straighten or bend it. Depending on how bad it is, you might be off that finger for a few weeks, so it is worth doing everything you can to prevent it in the first place. If you want to go deeper on the tendon side of things, we broke down what causes climbers’ tendon injuries in a separate post.
3 Ways To Prevent Finger Injuries
- Warm your hands up properly. A good warm-up makes your finger flexors more pliable so they can handle more force. Plenty of climbers warm up by jump roping, flicking each finger out, and shaking their hands loose.
- Stretch dynamically before you climb, and save the static stretching for after. Some climbers make the mistake of static stretching before a session, which can set you up for injury, so keep the static stuff for the end. A classic is the prayer stretch: press both palms together and lift your elbows so it stretches from your wrists into your fingers.
- Use good technique. On crimps and small holds that load up your fingers, set your feet so most of your weight sits in your legs. And when you do crimp, use an open crimp grip where you can to lower the risk of hurting yourself.
Want to get smarter about crimps? Here is our breakdown of the three main crimp grips and how to train them (What Is A Crimp In Rock Climbing and How To Train For Them). It also pays to know when to tape up, so here is how and why we tape fingers for climbing.
Climbers Elbow
Elbow injuries like climber’s elbow come from overuse, usually repetitive gripping. People often lump it in with tennis elbow, though the two do not always point to the same tendon, so it is worth getting it looked at rather than self-diagnosing. The first sign is usually minor pain near the elbow. If you feel it, stop climbing and rest until you can grip without pain. Climber’s elbow can take a long time to settle down, up to 6 months in some cases, so preventing it is well worth the effort.
3 Ways To Prevent Elbow Injuries
- Ease off the full lock-offs. A full lock-off is when you bend your elbow all the way. Where you can, keep your arms straighter and drive your body up with your legs instead.
- Strengthen and stretch your wrists and forearms. Building those muscles takes load off the elbow. Here are 12 training exercises that hit your grip and forearms.
- Warm your elbows, forearms, and wrists up properly before you climb. Same idea as your fingers: a warm-up makes the muscles and tendons more pliable so they handle force better. Jump rope, mountain climbers, and arm circles all do the job.
Shoulder Rotator Cuff
Shoulders take a beating in climbing because so much force runs through them, and the rotator cuff is where trouble usually shows up. It tends to happen when you do not engage your shoulder blades as you climb. Over time the muscles in the front of your shoulders and chest get stronger than the ones in your back. That imbalance pulls on the rotator cuff harder than the back muscles can counter, and with enough repetition the cuff gets worn and strained. Your chest and shoulders also tighten to protect it, which rolls your shoulders forward and hunches your back. A common warning sign before injury is a dull ache in the back or side of your shoulder, plus discomfort when you lift your arm.
3 Ways to Prevent Shoulder Injuries
- Work your rotator cuff. There are lots of options, but an easy one with a resistance band is the clock exercise. You can do it standing or on all fours. Picture a clock face with your hands in the middle, shoulder-width apart. Keep one hand steady and move the other to each hour of the clock. Repeat 3 times on each shoulder.
- Strengthen your back and rear shoulder muscles. Since rotator cuff strain usually comes from imbalance around the joint, building up the back evens things out. Y raises are great for this. Set up on a ball or an incline bench at 45 degrees with your chest toward the bench, hold light weights, straighten your arms, and lift them into a ‘Y’ shape. Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 after each session.
- Engage your shoulder blades as you climb. This one matters more once your shoulders are already fairly balanced, which is unlikely right at the start of your climbing. Once you have put in the work from the first two tips, engaging your blades keeps you from sliding back into the same problems. To do it, push your chest out and keep your shoulder blades pulled together as much as you can while you climb.
Wrist Strain
You have probably noticed a theme by now. Gripping and pulling yourself up over and over is hard on the body, and your wrists are no exception. They compress and twist at all sorts of angles, which leaves them open to injury if the muscles around them are not strong and balanced. Common wrist problems for climbers include strained tendons and the small rotator muscles in the wrist, and you can also sprain a wrist if you fall and catch yourself on your hands. Early on you will feel mild pain when you bend your wrist or load it up.
3 Ways To Prevent Wrist Injury
- Warm your wrists up before you climb. A warm-up makes your wrist flexors more pliable, so the better prepared they are before you load them, the more they can take.
- Stretch dynamically before and statically after. That helps the muscles compress and expand without getting hurt. Shake your hands out to warm up, then after your session use the prayer stretch pointing up, palms together, and the reverse version with the backs of your hands together and your fingers pointing down.
- Strengthen your wrists. Wrist curls are a favorite because they hit your fingers and forearms too. Hold a light dumbbell with your palm facing up and curl your wrist, then flip to palm down and repeat. Do 2 to 3 sets of 15 each way, most days.
Ankle Sprains
Unlike the overuse injuries above, this one comes from landing wrong, rolling your ankle in or out as you hit the ground. It is more common in bouldering than roped climbing, simply because you are far more likely to hit the deck without a rope to catch you. Some climbers will tell you a rolled ankle is just part of the game, but there is plenty you can do to lower the odds. If you spend a lot of time on the pads, it is also worth thinking about whether you should wear a helmet for bouldering.
3 Ways To Prevent Ankle Sprains
- The best thing you can do is climb down instead of jumping off. That goes for indoor and outdoor bouldering alike, since the mats do not fully soak up your impact.
- Falling is going to happen in bouldering, so try to land with both feet down at the same time. It is tricky on steep terrain, and a spotter can help. Landing on both feet spreads the load across both ankles instead of dumping it all on one.
- When you land, keep your knees bent, and on a high fall let your momentum roll you onto your back and shoulders so your ankles take less of the hit. One more thing while you are at it: do not throw your hands down to catch yourself, or you will just trade an ankle sprain for a wrist one.
The Big Picture On Climbing Injuries And Prevention
Getting banged up in climbing is almost inevitable, but a lot of it is in your hands. Most injuries come down to warming up properly, stretching dynamically before you climb, and statically after. And since so much of climbing injuries and prevention traces back to strength and muscle imbalance, make a point of training the muscles you do not lean on as much, like your back and rear shoulders.
Good muscle balance keeps your rotator cuff happy, takes strain off your elbow tendons, and protects your wrists. For the injuries you cannot fully train away, like a rolled ankle, climb down when you can and stay aware of your body as you fall.
If you like having this kind of thing land in your inbox, we send one short climbing drill a week that takes about 15 minutes. You can grab the free newsletter here and build the habits that keep you climbing and off the injury list.
One last reminder: this is general info, not medical advice. If you are dealing with pain that lingers, gets worse, or limits how you move, stop climbing on it and see a doctor or physio. Catching an injury early is almost always faster than pushing through it.
I hope this list helps you stay healthy. Share it with any climbing partners who would benefit from knowing the most common injuries and how to dodge them. Climb safe!
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common climbing injuries?
The five climbers run into most are finger pulley strains, climber’s elbow, rotator cuff issues in the shoulder, wrist strains, and ankle sprains. The first four usually come from overuse and muscle imbalance, while ankle sprains tend to come from bad landings, mostly in bouldering.
How do you prevent climbing injuries?
Most prevention comes down to warming up properly, stretching dynamically before you climb and statically after, using good technique so your feet carry your weight, and strengthening the muscles you do not use as much, like your back and rear shoulders. For ankles, climb down instead of jumping and try to land on both feet.
Should you keep climbing through finger or elbow pain?
No. Climbing through hand or elbow pain is one of the fastest ways to turn a minor tweak into a longer layoff. Stop, rest until you can grip without pain, and see a physio if it does not settle.
How long do climbing injuries take to heal?
It depends on the injury and how bad it is. A finger might sideline you for a few weeks, while elbow tendon issues can take a long time, up to 6 months in some cases. Recovery times vary a lot, so check with a professional about your situation.
Are ankle sprains preventable in bouldering?
You cannot rule them out, but you can lower the odds. Climb down instead of jumping off, land with both feet together and knees bent, use a spotter on awkward angles, and keep your hands off the ground as you land.
More About Safety and First Aid:
- Taping Fingers For Climbing: Why And How
- Proper Nutrition For Tendons For Climbers
- Exercises To Prevent Tendon Injuries For Climbers
- Climbers’ Tendon Injuries And What Causes Them
- 5 Common Injuries In Climbing And How To Prevent Them
- Climbers Guide: First Aid Kit
- How Do You Deal With Climbing Flappers? Prevention And Care
- Should You Wear A Helmet For Bouldering?
