UKC

How do you stay strong when you've got an injured arm, or how do you avoid losing too much fitness during an extended layoff? My Arm is still destroyed and in spite of doing absolutely nothing with it it is not getting better. It seems like I am looking at a total of five or six weeks off and will only be able to start climbing again 2 or three weeks before a two week trip to Mallorca. Are my pre-injury Mallorca goals still achievable or do I have to reasses and wait for the next trip.

In reply to gazhbo:

what kind of injury was it?

In reply to Lee Grant: don't know, something insignificant at work. But its caused tendonitis in my wrist which means at the moment I am sat at home and unable to climb, wondering how long before I can get back to both, and how I'm going to be able to afford my holiday, let alone climb on it.

In reply to gazhbo: Tendonitis is a bit of a bastard unfortunately. If it is just in your wrist you may still be able to do press ups and bicep curls as long as it doesent aggravate it (not really recommended tho). However if its in your elbow youre screwed exercise wise.

Rest for as long as possible. When you actually get there strap it up to climb. Stretch every day the week before you go, but not on cold muscles. A shower will warm the muscles, but after exercise is better. And you may have to scale back the goals a bit. Most important of all, warm up really thoroughly at the crag, i.e Walk in to raise the pulse, some VERY easy traversing on big holds to wake up the arms, then stretching, then a couple of really easy routes, then a bit more stretching.

But all is not lost! It may be that by the time you go it will have healed up completely. Five weeks should be enough time to fix mild tendonitis as long as you dont start messing around with it. If it is fixed just take it easy, its better to do two weeks fun climbing than be pissed off for thirteen days when you f*ck it up on the first day. You'll know how much you can do when you get out there.....

PS. To complete my completely non medically based rehab, get a bottle of MSM, find some suitable stretches and strengthening exercises and when you start climbing again, go easy on the crimps.

In reply to gazhbo: Hmm just read some of your other posts. Rest for you I suspect, wouldnt advise any strength work, see a physio if you can, otherwise hassle your GP to sort out a physio.

If you get a cortisone shot you DEFINITELY wont be able to climb for 6 weeks after, as the magic needs time to do its thing, and you wont be able to climb hard for another month or two after that, although you will feel like you can. This is where the danger is with Cortisone is, apart from the complications Jenni mentioned of course. It is not a quick fix solution.

In reply to gazhbo:

I can't speak for your arm injuries, but working on your core strength (mid-section, back, hips) and balance will pay off when you get back to climbing, and be of far more use than being able to do lots of pull ups.