I. Prevention of Climbing Injuries
Research shows that most muscle, tendon, or ligament strains stem from "microtrauma." Since the symptoms are not obvious, such injuries often develop over several days but are therefore frequently overlooked by athletes. Whenever the body is pushed to its limits during movement, microtrauma can occur in muscles or tissues. With adequate rest, this type of injury is a normal result of training—not only will it heal on its own, but it can also enhance muscle strength. However, if the accumulation of microtrauma outpaces recovery time, sports injuries will develop. Once an injury occurs, even with subsequent normal training, the old injury may recur. The following principles can help prevent sports injuries before they happen:
(1) Gradually increase training intensity and allow the body sufficient time to adapt;
(2) Do not push your limits if the holds are beyond your finger strength capacity;
(3) Develop proper training techniques and correct climbing styles or habits that are prone to injury;
(4) When injured, change your plans as soon as possible—do not worsen the condition due to overambition;
(5) Strive to maintain balanced climbing movements so that stress is evenly distributed among muscle groups;
(6) Do not perform movements beyond your physical capacity due to pressure or expectations from spectators;
(7) Avoid overextending joints, as this can damage surrounding tendons or tissues;
(8) Always determine training intensity based on individual capabilities;
(9) To promote balanced muscle development, train opposing forces to muscle fiber contraction simultaneously;
(10) Flexibility training for muscles under development can help prevent injuries;
(11) Do not ignore signs of inflammation, swelling, or pain, as this can delay recovery of the affected area;
(12) Do not overly rely on painkillers, as while they reduce swelling and pain, they also mask warning signals from the injury site and weaken immunity;
(13) Stay alert and take proactive preventive measures, no matter how minor the symptoms.
II. First Aid for Climbing Injuries
When treating an injury, it is important to distinguish between a "new injury" and an "old injury," as their treatment methods differ. First, assess the severity of the injury (whether the affected area looks normal—for example, skin rupture, exposed bone, or abnormal protrusion), then follow the RICE treatment principle:
"Rest (Rest): Stop all activity.
"Ice (Ice): Helps constrict capillaries and reduce bleeding.
"Compression (Compression): Includes stabilization and stopping bleeding.
"Elevation (Elevation): Elevate the injured area. Then decide whether a doctor needs to be called or if medical treatment is necessary. Of these, icing is the most critical, as it can significantly reduce the injured person's pain.
◎ Sprain Treatment:
In the event of a sprain, apply ice immediately to reduce pain and swelling. It’s best to avoid hot water immersion for at least three days to prevent exacerbating inflammation. Naturally, rest as much as possible after a sprain.
◎ Muscle Strains or Tendon/Periosteum Inflammation:
For muscle strains or tendon/periosteum inflammation, general advice is to rest. However, for professional athletes, prolonged cessation of training can lead to muscle atrophy, slower nerve responses, and eventual distortion of sports techniques and significant declines in performance. Thus, athletes should not completely stop practicing after an injury but should avoid or reduce the movements that caused the injury (especially competitions, which must be entirely avoided).
◎ Fractures:
If you have a fracture, you must wait until it has completely healed before resuming sports. However, it’s important to note that many fractures are not visible from the outside.
※Ice Application Method:
Equipment: (ice pack, cooling agent, or ice wrapped in a plastic bag and then a towel).
Duration: (10–15 minutes per session, repeated 3–4 times, with 3–5 minutes rest between sessions).
As for whether to apply medicated plasters, it is recommended not to use them within the “first four days” of injury, because most medicated plasters on the market actually function similarly to heat therapy. Likewise, avoid heat therapy during the first four days after an injury. The correct approach is: if there is no improvement in your condition (the pain does not lessen or gets worse) after four days, you should go to the hospital for an X-ray so a doctor can check for fractures or other injuries.
Frankly speaking, as long as a plaster helps with blood circulation, any type of external medicated plaster can be beneficial. But to truly heal from an injury, rest is essential. If you want to restore your pre-injury muscle strength or physical condition, you must gradually increase weight training and flexibility exercises for the injured area after recovery.
Flexibility training is especially important, because after an injury, the flexibility of tendons and ligaments around the affected area will noticeably decrease. Poor flexibility is also a common cause of sports injuries and can repeatedly lead to reinjury in the same spot. It’s recommended to do more stretching before exercising, wear protective gear while active, and apply heat whenever possible after exercise.
After an injury, the flexibility of tendons and ligaments decreases significantly, and muscle strength also weakens (or may even disappear). If you continue to exercise before full recovery, the uninjured surrounding muscles will contract in their place (a natural physiological response). But if the strain exceeds what the muscle connective tissue (or so it’s called) can bear, the muscles will instinctively stop contracting to protect themselves from further harm.
This phenomenon will only improve once your muscle strength and flexibility have recovered. This is why many well-known athletes need a long time to return to their previous performance levels after an injury.