Does Climbing Rocks Affect Your Lower Back?

Climbing has been demonstrated in studies to effectively lessen back pain in those with persistent low back pain. To achieve this, they divided the participants in the study into two groups: those with persistent back pain who received no treatment at all, and those who underwent a therapeutic climbing programme consisting of 10 sessions over the course of eight weeks on five different indoor bouldering courses.

1. Ill-posed

Adopting bad posture during climbing can have a negative impact on the health of your lower back. In particular, it may result in overdeveloped lats and tight pectoral muscles. Furthermore, it may result in a c-shaped back, or hunched back in the thoracic spine, which can weaken your core and produce pain in the area between your shoulder blades. When you are climbing, this kind of movement pattern can also make you more likely to trip and hurt yourself. This could be problematic since landing on your back can exacerbate the damage and necessitate medical care. It's crucial to practise good posture and core stability both inside and outside of the climbing environment. Injuries can be avoided by attempting to correct your posture with exercises like planks and bridges or by having your movement patterns examined by a physiotherapist or chiropractor. They can also help you figure out what is causing your back pain as you climb and fix these improper movement patterns.

2. Bending your back too much

Excessive back bending can be harmful to your lower back health, even though some climbing exercises can assist develop your back muscles. This is due to the fact that weak core muscles make it difficult for the arms and legs to move independently of one another while maintaining neutral spinal posture. It takes a lot of strength to pull on the rock and maintain equilibrium in awkward positions when climbing. This can be particularly tough on technical climbs with narrow handholds and thin cracks. Additionally, this kind of climbing has a tendency to underdevelop the minor back muscles (the rhomboids and middle trapezius) and overdevelop the main back muscle (the latissimus dorsi). This may eventually cause the facet joints in the spine to become compressed, which may result in low back discomfort. Fortunately, you may avoid this by being conscious of the amount of extension you are making on the wall and making an effort to reduce it whenever you can.

3. Unsatisfactory Movement Patterns

Climbing requires repetitive movements, which over time may start to strain your lower back if done improperly. Examples include bending your back excessively, especially on overhanging terrain, and pressing your shoulders to the side (also known as climber's back), which can compress the spinal discs. Similarly, straining your muscles and joints might result from climbing with poor balance or lack of proprioception. Planks and bridge exercises are great ways to strengthen your core muscles and enhance your proprioception and balance. The main back muscles used in climbing are the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and middle and lower trapezius. However, an overdeveloped lat muscle can pull your entire body forward, resulting in a thoracic spine hunch and tense muscles in your chest. Injuries and shoulder pain are further consequences of this. One of the best ways to start adding stability to your climbing is to brace yourself as though you are going to be struck in the stomach, laugh, or cough. This will create rigidity throughout your core.

4. Ineffective Climbing Methods

Pulling with your arms and pushing with your legs at the same time is necessary for climbing. Numerous muscles in the body are worked by this dual movement, including the quadriceps, glutes, and calves of the lower body as well as the levator scapulae, rhomboids, and middle trapezius in the back, shoulder, and chest. The transition from one hold to another will be less taxing on your body if you can develop a rhythm and balance. You also have better control as you climb the wall because of this. The secret is to develop the core stiffness you need to stabilise yourself when reaching for a hand or foothold. Laughing, coughing, or bracing as though you are being hit in the stomach are excellent ways to practise this. Then, as the climbing manoeuvre demands, you can modify your level of stiffness. Research has indicated that low-volume, low-intensity rock climbing may be helpful for back discomfort. Furthermore, it has been discovered to enhance endurance and movement control in patients with recurring low back pain.