UKC

Hi all;

Recently returned to climbing; specifically indoor bouldering.

I'm 45 and haven't climbed regularly for about 15 years; things were going great for a couple of months; steadily moving up the grades but I now have pain in my right shoulder that I think may be a partially torn rotater cuff from overdoing it, specifically on cave type problems. (I'm 14 stone which doesn't help!)

Question is; do I have to simply stop completely until fully recovered or should I continue but limit myself to easier, less steep problems?

TIA.

Will. 

That really does depend on what you’ve done and the best thing to do is get a decent physio to advise. But from my experience just carrying  on climbing when you know you have an injury has always led to tears in my case! But I never learn because I’m a muppet. 

If you tell us the area you live, someone here might be able to recommend a good sports physio who has worked with similar climbing injuries. Relying on the GP route is a bad idea... it's too slow and the chances of getting a  physio who knows enough about climbing injuries is like shaking a dice.

Dave Macleod's book ' Make or Break' would also be a good investment to help prevent future problems.

https://www.davemacleod.com/shop/makeorbreak

Thanks for that; I'm fortunate to have a physio in the family who I'll be seeing in a week or so and have ordered the book!

A physio with a background in climbing is the best option to access your injury. I've had something similar (damaged not torn rotator cuff), what not to do is to ignore the pain as I'm convinced I made mine a lot worse in the few weeks I pretended it was a niggle and that would disappear. 

 My physio prescribed rehab was a few weeks off, easy climbing with lots of therabanding, now onto TRX to build more strength and indoor climbing with a fitness focus - i.e. laps on boulders & routes. 

No easy answer to your question as returning to climbing is best done as gradual process. My experience through this is if it hurts/feels weak or "wrong" when doing it you're probably making it worse, stop immediately. Doms the next day from supporting muscles a warning sign, take note and back off 

I fell off 2 year ago and badly pulled my shoulder.

I started at the physio who suspected a supraspinatus tear and gave some strengthening exercises of rotator cuff muscles.

I got an ultrasound ( got a friend who is an ultrasonograher) and could see a core lesion in the supraspinatus.

3 months on it was no better. Felt weak, easily jarred and sore, couldn't sleep on that side. So I went to see a surgeon. He diagnoses a shoulder subluxation .....basically I'd stretched the supporting parts of the joint. He said that most people over 40 have core lesions in supraspinatus tendon so this clinically meant nothing. He told me I was being to gentle with the physio. I'd been doing my exercises to the point of pain and assumed any pain was not good and causing more damage.

I was due for MRI but went away and pushed my exercises harder and into some soreness while doing them. Very quickly I made progress and improved .

I've no idea wat to recommend and obviously don't injure yourself further.

See a physio probably wise. Ask them how hard to push the exercises. Give it time probably more to than anything. I was fed up for 6 m thinking I was doomed then it got better.....time .

I think light climbing was good for mine. Had to be in control. No dynos etc. 

Good luck. I suspect it'll settle.

I used one of them stretchy band things alot. I know do regular conditioning exercises of shoulders....age..... joint wear n tear