1. Why This Overview Exists
Climbers often feel pain but don’t know what the problem is:
- “Is this a pulley strain?”
- “Is this elbow tendinitis?”
- “Is my shoulder impinged?”
- “Is this just fatigue?”
And online information is usually vague, contradictory, or medically generic.
This page fixes that by giving you:
- a mechanical diagnosis framework (not medical, but biomechanically precise)
- clear symptom patterns
- tissue-type explanations
- a decision tree leading to the correct injury guide
2. The Three Mechanisms Behind All Climbing Injuries
Every injury you’ll ever get is caused by one of these three things:
1. Load > Capacity (the universal rule)
If external load exceeds tissue capacity → tissue fails.
This includes:
- pulley overload
- tendon micro-damage
- elbow tendinopathy
- shoulder torque issues
- knee rotation pressure
- wrist shear load
Dit is de basis die je volledig vindt in F1 – Load vs Capacity.
2. Poor Force Direction (vector error)
Vector = force direction.
If joints aren’t aligned:
- shear (sideways stress) increases
- pulleys take too much load
- elbows absorb rotational torque
- shoulders impinge
Dit principe wordt verder uitgelegd in P5 – Technique-Driven Injury Prevention.
3. Under-Recovery (collagen not rebuilt)
Most persistent injuries start because tissue hasn’t completed collagen remodeling (tissue rebuilding process).
Signs:
- morning stiffness
- dull ache
- delayed pain
- joint tightness
Uitgewerkt in P4 – Recovery Principles.
3. Acute vs Chronic Injuries (Simple Decision Model)
Acute injury
- sudden
- sharp
- local
- often a “pop”
- immediate weakness
Examples: pulley rupture, ankle sprain.
Chronic injury
- dull ache
- morning stiffness
- only hurts in certain vectors
- improves after warming up
Examples: elbow tendinopathy, shoulder impingement.
Dit principe is uitgewerkt in F4 – Acute vs Chronic Injury Mechanisms.
4. Pain Location = Biggest Clue to Injury Type
You can identify 80–90% of climbing injuries by answering:
Where does it hurt?
Choose a region:
- Fingers → G1 or G2
- Elbow → G3 or G4
- Shoulder → G5 or G6
- Wrist → G7
- Biceps → G8
- Knee → G9
- Ankle/landing → G10
Below is the decision tree.
5. The Climbing Injury Decision Tree
A) FINGER PAIN
Pain on the front or side of finger?
Sharp pain in crimp / pop / pinch?
→ Go to G1: Finger Pulley Injuries (A2/A3/A4)
Pain in the belly of the forearm, especially after gripping?
→ Go to G2: Flexor Tendon Overload (“Crimp Elbow precursor”)
B) ELBOW PAIN
Inside of elbow (medial side / funny bone area)?
Worse on pulling, gripping.
→ G3: Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
Outside of elbow (lateral side)?
Worse on pinches, wrist extension.
→ G4: Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)
C) SHOULDER PAIN
Pain when raising arm / catching swings / gastons?
→ G5: Shoulder Impingement
Shoulder feels weak or unstable / clunky?
→ G6: Rotator Cuff Weakness & Instability
D) WRIST PAIN
Pain on slopers / compression / sidepulls?
→ G7: Wrist Alignment & Tendon Irritation
E) BICEP PAIN
Front of shoulder → biceps tendon, especially on underclings
→ G8: Biceps Tendon Irritation
F) KNEE PAIN
Pain during dropknees / high-steps / rotations?
→ G9: Knee Torque Injuries (MCL/Meniscus)
G) ANKLE PAIN
Pain after falling / unstable landings?
→ G10: Ankle Sprains & Landing Mechanics
6. How the Injury Guides Are Built (What to Expect)
Every injury guide (G1–G10) follows the same structure:
- Mechanism (what physically happens)
- How it occurs (movement errors, load patterns)
- Diagnostic clues (not medical, biomechanical)
- Red & yellow flags
- Pain signature
- Technique errors to avoid
- Immediate actions
-
Rehab phases
- isometrics (static holds)
- eccentrics (slow lowering)
- heavy–slow resistance
- Return-to-load protocol
- Prehab routine
- When to seek help
Consistent + actionable = extremely high authority.
7. What This Overview Does NOT Do
It does not:
- diagnose medical conditions
- replace medical advice
- claim therapeutic outcomes
- give anatomical pathology
It does give you:
- mechanical clarity
- load-based reasoning
- high-quality self-management guidance
- logical routing to the correct article