Climbing and dentistry

[Jem27]

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not sure if this would get a better response here or in the dental forum.

i really enjoy climbing but i don't want to ruin my fingers. any advice on what i should be avoiding or how i can improve so to avoid injuring myself?

i just started about 2 months ago and i've been doing 5.6's and attempting 5.7's and i climb strictly at a gym. it's cold on the east coast and i'm going to save stuff like outdoor climbing for when i have a better life insurance policy and a beneficiary.

but, is there a cut off? i mean, i don't want to attempt to climb nubs on walls, crimp improperly and potentially damage the tendons in my fingers.

 

[SugarNaCl]

not sure if this would get a better response here or in the dental forum.

i really enjoy climbing but i don't want to ruin my fingers. any advice on what i should be avoiding or how i can improve so to avoid injuring myself?

i just started about 2 months ago and i've been doing 5.6's and attempting 5.7's and i climb strictly at a gym. it's cold on the east coast and i'm going to save stuff like outdoor climbing for when i have a better life insurance policy and a beneficiary.

but, is there a cut off? i mean, i don't want to attempt to climb nubs on walls, crimp improperly and potentially damage the tendons in my fingers.

I have no idea, but if every dental student were to fear the loss of their hands through injury, no one would do anything. You can't give up your life to save your hands. If this were the case, I would have to stop playing tennis, rollerblading, playing guitar, kayaking and responding so often on SDN.

 

[Pyriots]

I have no idea, but if every dental student were to fear the loss of their hands through injury, no one would do anything. You can't give up your life to save your hands. If this were the case, I would have to stop playing tennis, rollerblading, playing guitar, kayaking and responding so often on SDN.

I totally agree. You're supposed to be using your hands to improve your coordination and control of them, not putting them away somewhere safe!

Do what you like, just don't be stupid. Wear gloves on cold climbs, chalk up, and treat every little cut as if its infected.

My mother just got her hands insured as soon as she could.

 

[Jem27]

hrm, my question or concern was not so much how can i do nothing to my hands and more of, i want to keep climbing, what should i do or not do. should i stop at 5.7...

i guess this is more of a topic for experienced climbers or for a climbing forum than a dentistry forum but i already spend more time than i should on this one...

thanks anyways guys! i do appreciate the responses.

well whatever, i guess i'll just have to use common sense.. sheesh, i hate having to think on my own.

 

[Montserrat]

not sure if this would get a better response here or in the dental forum.

i really enjoy climbing but i don't want to ruin my fingers. any advice on what i should be avoiding or how i can improve so to avoid injuring myself?

i just started about 2 months ago and i've been doing 5.6's and attempting 5.7's and i climb strictly at a gym. it's cold on the east coast and i'm going to save stuff like outdoor climbing for when i have a better life insurance policy and a beneficiary.

but, is there a cut off? i mean, i don't want to attempt to climb nubs on walls, crimp improperly and potentially damage the tendons in my fingers.

Just my $.02 worth of advice.

Everyone has a different natural level of contact strength, but if you want to play it safe:

1) avoid all close handed crimps
2) experiment with open handed crimps, by traversing a project with a crimp (lateral movement first, then vertical)
3) don't wear gloves when you climb, or tape your hands - it will weaken your tendon tensile strength over time, and your exercise will be counterproductive
4) chalk has nothing to do with damaging your hands. it's there to absorb sweat. if you're a beast, use chalk liberally. if not, preserve nature, and leave the chalk to chem nerds
5) buy your own pair of beginner shoes with a more stiff sole that have a snug but not masochistically painful fit. A stiffer heel will not force increased toe pressure and unnecessarily hurt your feet (WARNING TO WOMEN : Wearing climbing shoes will jack your toenails over time. You will have hideous feet after a few years.)
6) Climb as hard as your body will allow. Read the cues - if the interdigitary region hurts, don't climb on it. It can range from a mild tendon strain to a more serious sheath tear.
7) Common sense, and take care of your body. Oh, and don't climb if you're taking ciprofloxacin.

 

[bigstix808]

Just my $.02 worth of advice.

Everyone has a different natural level of contact strength, but if you want to play it safe:

1) avoid all close handed crimps (if she's on a wall climbing 5.6...prob wont have any close handed crimps - unless she's climbing some V4 problem🙂)
2) experiment with open handed crimps, by traversing a project with a crimp (lateral movement first, then vertical) (great idea!!)
3) don't wear gloves when you climb (unless you plan on climbing El Cap in the next 6 months -- LOL), or tape your hands - it will weaken your tendon tensile strength over time, and your exercise will be counterproductive (true true)
4) chalk has nothing to do with damaging your hands. it's there to absorb sweat. if you're a beast, use chalk liberally. if not, preserve nature, and leave the chalk to chem nerds (i'll have to say, when i climb indoors my hands sweat like no other; not a big fan of plastic - love the rock😀 - my chalk bag is my best friend)
5) buy your own pair of beginner shoes with a more stiff sole that have a snug but not masochistically painful fit. A stiffer heel will not force increased toe pressure and unnecessarily hurt your feet (WARNING TO WOMEN : Wearing climbing shoes will jack your toenails over time. You will have hideous feet after a few years.) (unless you're like my gf, she wears heels 24/7 so i'm sure you can imagine how bad her feer are already...haha!)
6) Climb as hard as your body will allow. Read the cues - if the interdigitary region hurts, don't climb on it. It can range from a mild tendon strain to a more serious sheath tear.
7) Common sense, and take care of your body. Oh, and don't climb if you're taking ciprofloxacin <--- not sure what that is 🙂.

Montserrat, i'm not going against your words...i already PM'ed her with what i thought. i just now read further down and read this. i'm just psyched that there is one more predent climber. i'm not sure if it's just me, but they are far and few between. gotta keep em here while they're still "young" know what i'm sayin.😎

 

[Jem27]

montserrat & bigstix,

this is great. thanks a lot for your responses. i'm not there in skill level yet but at least now i know what to watch out for. 😀

 

[Montserrat]

1) avoid all close handed crimps (if she's on a wall climbing 5.6...prob wont have any close handed crimps - unless she's climbing some V4 problem🙂)

I was surprised to see how many beginners reach for the closest hold (tiny ledge of a foothold that can also be a crimp handhold), and not the most positive one. I used to teach climbing classes part time while in school, and because beginners don't trust the rope system, they'll throw their hands at the closest thing and hang for dear life.

The worst injury I saw from a complete beginner had nothing to do with climbing itself, but her fear of it. After a high step and before I could take in rope, she fell a short distance, but grabbed at a bolt. Of all the oversized holds in her path, she grabbed a metal bolt and snuck her middle finger in it. It ended up breaking and dislocating her finger. If she did that outside and with a little more rope slack, she would have lost that finger.