Wow, busy day for these guys tomorrow!I bruised my right heel about two months ago. I couldn't rest it, so spent a month basically walking on my toes on my right leg. This made my calf ache a bit on long walks. Now I can walk normally again, heel is fine, but my right knee has started having twinges where it briefly feels weak and unstable. I had an arthroscopy on the inside of the knee about eight years ago, to 'tidy up' cartilage (a torn flap was visible on MRI, but the surgeon couldn't find it). Any ideas?
Bet you're wishing you'd never asked.....Tennis elbow for me, diagnosed by a couple of medical types I climb with now and again. It started when I bashed my elbow on a hold, and then got steadily worse. It is worse if I don't climb at all, and I have been surprisingly careful when climbing - stopping if a particular move hurts it and so on.I'm just wondering if there are other exercises I can be doing to help it clear up - is there a tin of beans thing I should be doing?
Hi SteveI had what appeared to be an open & shut case of Golfers Elbow (it would feel like a strap was being tightened around my forearm immediately below the elbow when performing tasks like squeezing a plastic bottle or unscrewing a jar lid. I would also feel a tweak on the inside just below the elbow when straightening or bending the elbow fully). I tried wrist curls and icing but it hasn't responded to either.Knowing how you work I looked into other possible causes and I saw both your and Joe Le Sage's video advice on here and subsequently noticed that my right shoulder was much stiffer than my left (maybe 20 degrees difference when performing a Scarf Stretch at that point), also if I dug my fingers into my back/shoulder muscles beneath my scapula I'd experience moderate pain.I decided to work on my shoulder and started rotator cuff exercises and scarf stretches and both my elbow and shoulder improved, I also did some gentle climbing and the symptoms could disappear almost entirely for a day or two afterwards. Recently I've been climbing at increasing intensity without pain and managing to do more and more.This week though the symptoms have returned. I climbed on Monday, did quite a strenuous swim on Tuesday and today the elbow is tweaky again. Having fallen out of the habit of doing them, I tried the shoulder exercises again and it is also stiff, a bit crunchy and fingers-in-the-scapula generates pain again.It appears I have a shoulder problem, does it sound like I have an elbow issue too or is it possible the shoulder is causing the symptoms in the elbow?ThanksIan
Sheesh, reading this thread makes me realise how lucky I am to only have slightly dodgy hamstrings at the moment.
Fellas,I'm 48 with shoulder injuries.....lots Some history: SLAP tears in both shoulders, R since 2007(MRI diagnosis - L. Funk), 2nd diagnosis on R Feb 13.Rotator cuff tears front and back & SLAP on L shoulder.Still climbing & MTB & wanting to prolong surgery as long as possible. Climbing up to 7c/+ sport & trad E4/5. I climb/train 3 times a week & ride once/twice a week.From what Funk says the SLAP's probably won't heal without intervention. He also encouraged me to continue until things become unmanageable (I suspect he is saying this not too disappoint). He said he'd always(95%) be able to repair. I avoid pull ups, press ups and weights as they all seem to aggravate. However, I'm able to train on circuit boards with not too many problems. Physio is limited to standerd theraband stuff prior to climbing. If I increase the theraband stuff and add in rotator cuff ex with light weight - the ones sitting and rotating shoulder from horizontal to vert + same but lying on side then pain increases. Thus I tend to avoid the last 2. If I'm careful I manage and I back off/rest if pain increases. The biggest issue is walking in with a heavy trad sac. As you'd expect my L(SLAP & Rot cuff) is far worse than R .Can you point me towards any exercises that may well repair/ strengthen the rotator cuff other than the light weight(1-1.5KG) ones mentioned. I appreciate I'm asking a lot. Funk mentioned rowing as an option? Cheers
Doing crawl is good but requires good technique with plenty of rotation - something often missing with climbers!
The problem is with my right arm and I always breathe to my left in the water
Hi Steve, Many Thanks for your reply, I'll give your suggestions a go.Quick (hopefully) question referring to swimming:Quote from: HPclinic on June 14, 2013, 01:21:49 pmDoing crawl is good but requires good technique with plenty of rotation - something often missing with climbers!I only swim while my nipper is having her lesson and the opportunity for 35 minutes exercise is preferable to sitting watching with a group of chit-chatting mummies. I'm unlikely to have good technique or lots of rotation and my neck usually feels stiff afterwards. The problem is with my right arm and I always breathe to my left in the water (when I saw you previously you told me I didn't like moving to my right) so my left shoulder moves in a completely different path and I think will be rotating a lot more than my right. Could this be contributing to, or even the cause of, the symptoms?Again, many thanks for your reply, enjoy your drink CheersIan
Quote from: nai on June 16, 2013, 08:44:29 pm The problem is with my right arm and I always breathe to my left in the waterI breathe every 3rd arm stroke ie alternate sides. Took some getting used to initially but quickly becomes second nature.
I would stretch before swimming and work on thoracic rotation to either side (sitting in a chair and rotating your upper body around). Practice breathing to the right and aim to add more variety to your swimming technique. Do this slowly as changing stresses to a new position can cause soreness. Steve
As boxing has been recommended as a good form of shoulder exercise - maybe we should start a UKB fight club?
I bet you sit at a desk all day and have a tight lower lumbar spine.
The hamstrings are tighten up in response to back pain/stiffness and sitting only compounds this. This is why stretching the hamstrings doesn't usually give a longterm solution. Try stretching your lumbar spine ad see what happens to your hamstrings. Thanks Steve
Thanks for the question. Eccentric loading of the Achilles tendon has some research to suggest it works but from my clinical practice it makes more sense to remove stress on the overloaded tendon (I rarely prescribe eccentric loading exercises and see many people achilles problems who have not responded to this approach). .....PS Regarding injections I am not a major fan and I would not have an injection before removing the stress on the tendon as outlined above. If you do go down the injection route be careful not to have more than three as steroids can weaken the tendon and possibly increase the risk of rupture. I would stop stretching as there is no evidence it works and it might be traumatising the tendon with repeat loading. Tell me how you get on. Steve
Quote from: HPclinic on June 16, 2013, 07:42:07 pmI bet you sit at a desk all day and have a tight lower lumbar spine. Yes indeed. Quote from: HPclinic on June 16, 2013, 07:42:07 pmThe hamstrings are tighten up in response to back pain/stiffness and sitting only compounds this. This is why stretching the hamstrings doesn't usually give a longterm solution. Try stretching your lumbar spine ad see what happens to your hamstrings. Thanks SteveI see! Thanks for the advice, I'll get to work on it. The problem originally started when pulling on my right heel in an awkward position but has seemed to spread to my left hamstring as well now! It gets quite painful on long-distance drives and I end up having to use the accelerator with my left foot for a bit to rest my right leg. I'll do some lower back stretches and let you know whether driving to Aberdeen this weekend, back from Aberdeen next, then to Brittany the following weekend hurts or not. (I suspect it will!) Thanks!
Quote from: Luke Owens on June 07, 2013, 04:41:14 pmGreat idea, thanks guys!I have minor golfers elbow on my right elbow. Can't pinpoint a defining moment which caused it but it's definitely from climbing.I have had it for a few months, but it's never been painful enough to stop me climbing and I very rarely feel pain while climbing unless I do a really deep lock off or pull up with that arm. It only seems to ache/hurt afterwards when I've warmed down. More niggling pain than anything.I've tried all the usual things for shifting it, stretching, icing, weights etc. but it always seems to linger. I've now give up on all of the above due to no results, probably not the best idea.Do you recommend I just need to perserve with the stretching etc or something else? Also any advice on preventing reoccurance would be great.Many thanks,I assume you are right handed?You've tried the local things which dont work so it is probably referred from the shouder/neck area maybe from overuse of a mouse at work??Worth trying swapping hands on the mouse and get your arm above your head during the working day and report back.We are producing a video on elbow rehab and you may get some ideas from that.HTH
Great idea, thanks guys!I have minor golfers elbow on my right elbow. Can't pinpoint a defining moment which caused it but it's definitely from climbing.I have had it for a few months, but it's never been painful enough to stop me climbing and I very rarely feel pain while climbing unless I do a really deep lock off or pull up with that arm. It only seems to ache/hurt afterwards when I've warmed down. More niggling pain than anything.I've tried all the usual things for shifting it, stretching, icing, weights etc. but it always seems to linger. I've now give up on all of the above due to no results, probably not the best idea.Do you recommend I just need to perserve with the stretching etc or something else? Also any advice on preventing reoccurance would be great.Many thanks,
Hi Matt and Steve thank you for giving your time and expertise generously in this way.I'm middle aged, climbing for decades but in recent years not very frequently. The last twelve months I have been able to climb more (2-3 times weekly) and have been mixing doing routes, power/stamina training and bouldering with good progress and no injuries.This week I have tightness and some pain around the right medial epicondyle. What do you recommend?Should I avoid strenuous climbing if it's tight/sore at the start of a session?Thanks again.Jon( I teach so mostly stood up at work, some use of computer in evenings).