Climbing drop knee injury. Check out the video below for four exercises to .
Climbing drop knee injury In this video, we explore another climbing technique. Feb 2, 2018 · In this article we discuss common climbing injuries and what's happening in the body when these injuries take occur. 2,3 On the other hand, the ACL prevents forward gliding of the leg bone (tibia) while the PCL prevents the It is best to train and train for energy-efficient techniques like drop knee climbing so that when we reach the top, we can stand up and wave. This study evaluates the incidence and nature of climbing-related injuries, focusing on how different disciplines and climbers’ MMA heel hooks are very similar to climbing heel hooks. Good strength and control in your hips allow you to rotate your hip and knee as a unit during a drop-knee. Feb 28, 2025 · Master stair climbing with knee pain. Drop knees, high step ups, heel hooks and ground falls are all common techniques that climbers employ which can put strain on the structures of the knee, possibly resulting in ruptures of the ACL ligament (11). Common lower extremity injuries Ankle - Most often due to a fall Lateral sprain Ankle fracture Other fracture (talus, calcaneus) Knee - Most often due to a fall or performing a heel hook, drop knee or high step Meniscus injury ACL injury IT band injury Sep 6, 2022 · The drop knee climbing technique, also known as knee drop, Egyptian (due to the shape of the body when employing the technique) or backstep It is a fundamental technique for producing hip stability and power. Christoph Lutter, MD Mar 9, 2024 · An excellent introductory exercise for preventing these types of heel hook injuries is the leg bridge (also known as the glute bridge). These activities can result in traumatic or overuse-related injuries to one or more of the following tissues: The biceps femoris The iliotibial band or ITB The lateral meniscus The lateral collateral ligament or LCL Biceps Sep 29, 2020 · All of the athletes with ACL injuries had returned to the sport within one year. (3) The following information is in part from a study looking at 71 climbers who sustained knee injuries investigated the mechanism of injury (MOI) along with the body structure damage= which can serve as a guide in the case of a knee injury. Sport-specific awareness and training programs for noncompetitive and competitive climbing athletes to reduce knee injuries should be developed, and sports medical supervision is man … The drop knee is useful for generating stability and power from the hips and helps to increase your reach to far away holds. Nov 6, 2022 · Meniscus Tear Physical Therapy for Rock Climbers November 6, 2022 The movements inherent to rock climbing can put significant stress on the meniscus. Pressure is applied outwards towards the toe and inwards towards the heel to threaten a knee (ACL) injury, the same injury a climber would sustain from a climbing heel hook. The knee also contains ligaments one of which is called the anterior cruciate ligament (or ACL). On the wall and out of options, you finally decide to commit a drop knee and crank through your next move. A guest contribution by Klaus Isele - head of the practice Therapierbar The primary difference between back-steps and drop-knees is that in a drop-knee both feet are on the wall during the move. This exercise coordinates stability between the opposing pressure of both feet and your reaching arm. I'd say medial collateral ligament strain. I study physical Aug 8, 2023 · Climbers also need to be aware of the risk of a knee injury, such as meniscal tears, when the knee is twisted to an extreme. A thorough warm up of the lower body and limited repetition will go a long way in injury prevention. Dealing With Climbing’s Most Common Injuries Meniscus Tears 3 Image from: Mechanisms of Acute Knee Injuries in Bouldering and Rock Climbing Athletes. 90/90 Lift Offs: 3 sets of 10 repetitions x 1-2 sec hold (each side) Raised Modified Lunge: 3 sets x 8 repetitions Mar 30, 2022 · The heel hook is a common and very necessary move in climbing, especially on overhanging rock. Stay injury-free and climb stronger with these expert tips! Climbing often demands moves that require significant hip mobility, such as high-stepping to reach holds and maintaining a drop knee position to stay close to the wall. Feb 10, 2023 · The Back Step (also known as the Drop Knee) is a foundational climbing move that helps the climber maintain balance and stability on the wall or rock face. Jun 12, 2020 · Published results identified four distinct traumatic mechanisms of knee injuries that can occur in rock climbing and bouldering among competitive and noncompetitive athletes. Jun 15, 2012 · Climbers stress the knees, especially when heel hooking, kneebarring, and highstepping, or taking bouldering falls — in fact, a fall from five feet can tear an ACL just as easily as one from 20, especially onto an uneven surface. Jan 15, 2024 · Discover the top 5 exercises to prevent knee injuries in climbers. Drop foot refers to difficulty lifting the front part of the foot, such as when the front drags on the ground when walking. Despite the name, the drop knee entails flexibility and strength of the internal hip rotators. While not as common as meniscus or hamstring injuries (in climbing), movements where the knee bends inwards, like drop knees or bad falls, can lead to MCL injury. She had been particularly apprehensive about the run-and-jump bouldery start—a move she hadn’t performed in six-and-a-half months due to her injury. The good news is that most MCL injuries can actually be treated conservatively! In Apr 28, 2025 · The precise location of your knee pain can help you narrow down the potential cause. By asking each patient to describe their body position and activity on the given climbing route at the time of injury, 4 mechanisms of injury were identified. I’m not saying fall from 10ft, but these and things like TKEs can be useful in training. Form 73 likes, 2 comments - climbing. One isolated traumatic incident is the rare exception in climbing. May 4, 2022 · The Hidden Dangers of One Crucial Steep-Rock Technique The key to the preservation of anything—including our climber knees—is minimizing wear-and-tear. Medial meniscus injuries were predominately caused by the high step, drop knee, and heel hook positions. What is a drop knee, the anatomy involved, what potential injuries there are and exercises that can hel Sep 27, 2025 · Stop the swing: learn step-by-step flagging & drop-knee fixes for flawless body positioning & balance in Climbing Movement 101. May 26, 2022 · Injuries and overuse damage to the lower extremities have recently become more frequent in climbing and bouldering. Check out the video below for four exercises to Depth jump variations. Learn how to improve flexibility, strengthen key muscles, and build resilience against common climbing-related stresses like heel hooks and drop-knee positions. e. To address this, climbers can incorporate specific exercises into their training routines. Oct 5, 2022 · Knee pain while climbing or bouldering : Injury prevention for drop knee by Laurence · Published 5 October 2022 · Updated 12 September 2022 Many climbers avoid routes that require specialized beta, such as tricky knee bars or aggressive drop knees. On extremely wide drop knees, the knee must pass inside the elbow to prevent your limbs from getting in a tangle. In particular, intense knee hooks when bouldering lead to heavy loads on the knee. Next Level Injury Prevention As climbing becomes larger and more popular, climbing injuries will become more and more prevalent not only among the veterans, but also among newcomers. Drop knees (inward rotation of hip while maintaining leg tension) can cause a large amount of stress on the knee, resulting in injuries as minor as bursitis (inflammation of the bursa) or as severe as dislocated patella. High-stepping, heel hooking, drop-knees, and planting/twisting can make the knee susceptible to meniscus tears. Evan Ingerson of BCC Partner Mend Physical Therapy Hip pain and dysfunction is common in rock climbers. When considering any twisting or rotational movements at the knee (i. Practice landing in a half squat from a short ledge and holding it for a few seconds, then increase the height you drop from. Jan 16, 2019 · Avoid knee pain and prevent drop-knee injuries with these climbing movement tips and a strengthening exercise from Dr. The next day your knee starts to swell and walking hurts. Jan 17, 2019 · Avoid knee pain and prevent drop-knee injuries with these climbing movement tips and a strengthening exercise from Dr. Klaus Isele, physiotherapist and osteopath, explains to us in today's guest post what the so-called "Hooker's knee" is, what you can do in the case of knee pain and how it differs from other knee pain. ” Sep 28, 2016 · Watch on And finally, some injury prevention. Jul 15, 2021 · The drop knee technique is a maneuver climbers use in rock climbing and bouldering. The knee joint sits between the femur and tibia bones and includes two cushions of cartilage known as the menisci. Edit: Downvotes really? Do climbers really not understand leg training besides being flexible? OP asked about knee conditioning for falls. Jul 12, 2021 · In this episode, we’re talking about the causes, tests, and solutions for anterior knee pain, so you can stop asking your friends to carry your heavy crashpad for you and start hiking, climbing, and jumping like a true kneesovertoesguy fanboy. Drop knee and high step-up movements are risky when extreme hip rotation is paired with a locked knee position. 5K subscribers Subscribe. rehab on June 27, 2025: " Drop knee enthusiasts, beware! Aggressive drop knees can put you at risk of an MCL injury. Here's what you need to know as well as a chart. With the rising number of knee injuries in climbing and bouldering, we now aimed to analyze this specific injury mechanisms and its underlying pathologies. Aug 31, 2022 · Drop-knees may be possible, though hard-earned when climbing horizontal roofs, although we tend to rely more on heel-hooks and toe-hooks for assisting progress when climbing at the very steepest angles. During rock climbing, a meniscus can rupture, usually due to a drop knee, or an inward rotation of the hip. Tightness in the hips can hinder your performance and increase the risk of injury. The American Journal of Sports Medicine (2020). Increased attention should be placed on the climber's knee, especially given the worldwide rise of indoor bouldering. But it's also the source of much woe, from hamstring tears to knee injuries. A meniscus tear typically causes knee pain, swelling, and limited range of motion. Jun 13, 2018 · Discover common ACL injuries and other risks from rock climbing. As stated above, Drop Knees require a high level of flexibility, they also put a large amount of strain on the ligaments in the knee joint and climbers should should be cautious of injury. Adam Luu BSc (H)Kin Published May 4, 2022 Jan 16, 2019 · Perform this exercise to improve and reinforce the movement pattern of a drop-knee in climbing. Heed my words! Be very cautious about how far you drop your knee while employing this technique. Gain strategies, exercises, and alternatives to reclaim your mobility. Continuing to climb through pain and even swelling is likely creating a Drop knees (inward rotation of hip while maintaining leg tension) can cause a large amount of stress on the knee, resulting in injuries as minor as bursitis (inflammation of the bursa) or as severe as. Climbers with a history of knee injuries, like previous strains or Aug 26, 2025 · At the NAC on Sunday, Grossman climbed with composure and finesse, even performing a drop knee with her injured knee. Climbers put significant load on the knee with high steps, drop knees, and especially extreme heel hooks. Many of these structures have poor blood supply, which in turn leads to a natural difficulty in the body’s ability to heal the damaged or sprained structure. heel hook, drop knee, etc. A meniscus tear is a common knee injury, particularly among athletes, older adults, and. Pulley injuries, shoulder injuries and knee injuries almost always result from cumulative stress. Materials and Methods: Among 50 climbing athletes with unspecific knee pain, we identified 9 patients with injuries of the lower extremities after performing a heel hook. 5 days ago · "Drop Knee" Injury - advice please - SuperTopo's climbing discussion forum is the world's most popular community discussion forum for people who actively climb outdoors. For the drop knee technique, the climber places their weight on the outside of one foot, rotating their hip toward the wall and lowering their knee; their other foot rests against a hold for support. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Dec 14, 2022 · Article by Dr. . Recognizing the signs and incorporating proactive decision-making will help our gear, and ourselves, last longer. What is going on? Climbing is a demanding sport, requiring good health from the tips of your fingers to the tips of your toes. To begin, start by finding your mechanism of injury (i. Feb 27, 2024 · Trick knees are a condition where your knee suddenly gives out. Jan 17, 2019 · The key to the preservation of anything—including our climber knees—is minimizing wear-and-tear. Nov 8, 2022 · Climbers, particularly climbers who boulder, are at increased risk of knee injury. Aug 31, 2021 · Knee Injuries. Feb 25, 2020 · Knee pain is common among climbers. By dropping the knee, climbers can keep their center of gravity close to the wall. Knee injuries due to climbing often involve a meniscus tearing. Learn about what causes hip pain and how you can fix it so you don’t have to miss a day of climbing. Backstepping or twisting offers a better, more efficient way Mar 10, 2020 · Have no idea how to drop knee? In this post, we detail what dropknees are, how to do them, and give you helpful resources to learn the best climbing technique. Nov 24, 2022 · They examined 71 patients with a total of 77 independent knee injuries. But the described treatments like side step progressions or squats with bands didn't make the slightest change, on some days even triggered the pain. You then place the other foot on its inside edge on another foothold. Here's how to come back from such an injury. Sep 29, 2020 · High step and drop knee injuries were more common during rope climbing, whereas heel hook and fall injuries were more often caused by bouldering. Orthokinetics offers treatment and recovery solutions for climbing-related knee injuries. Patients injured during the heel hook position had the highest ability level and highest training volume per week while patients injured during a fall had the lowest ability level. This technique not only unlocks efficient climbing but also increases the reach of the climber. May 4, 2022 · The Problem—The Drop Knee A 2020 study analyzing knee injuries among climbers found that the drop-knee maneuver was the reason behind ~20 percent of all climbing-related knee injuries (interestingly, heel-hooking and ground falls made up a combined ~60 percent in this study). Even though this increase is largely caused by acute injuries, especially around the knee joint, a variety of different pathologies must be considered Climbing, a sport with increasing popularity, poses diverse risks and injury patterns across its various disciplines. A simple google search will find hundreds of strengthening and stretching programs promising to bulletproof your shoulder, ankle, knee, etc… Apr 4, 2022 · Lateral knee pain from climbing-related activities is common due to the high stresses we impose on our legs while heel hooking, high stepping, hiking, and of course falling. Unlike other sports which require running and jumping, the return to sport protocol for rock climbing is more gradual and relatively quick. May 3, 2017 · Several years ago Dave Macleod, the Scottish climbing writer and multi-discipline aficionado, suffered a tear to his MCL and a minor hamstring injury while executing a drop knee. Positioning For the lower body a drop-knee consists of standing on the outside edge of the motion point (the foot you will push up with). You hear a pop in your knee and feel some pain. How do climbers typically injure their meniscus? The classic mechanism for a meniscal injury is a combination of knee compression, twisting, and bending. Knee Injury From Climbing. Nov 12, 2019 · Specific to climbing, it is likely that the knee joint is often twisted in a weight bearing position which offers a fair amount of wear and tear damage over time. These included the high step, drop knee, heel hook and uncontrolled falls to the ground. It certainly depends on your level of flexibility, but the possibility of damaging tendons, ligaments, and muscles around the knee is very real. ). A sudden twist, or even repetitive landing, can increase the risk. Jared Vagy. the drop knee move in climbing), the LCL and MCL are the thick bands that provide side to side stability to prevent excessive movement that can result in an injury. Leg bridges build strength and stability in the hamstring and hip-to-knee chain, and they’re easily modifiable, making them useful for warm-ups, leg strength work-outs, and injury rehab. In addition, this exercise will also strengthen the muscles that help you absorb shock from Falling with a dodgy knee: A guide to injury prevention and management in boulderers with existing knee problems For many people who are new to bouldering, falling and jumping off the wall often seems very scary, especially to those who have a “dodgy knee. Do these three simple exercises every week to prep for heel hooking and prevent injury to your legs. It’s possible to prevent tears with proper nutrition, conditioning, and strength building. This can cause you to raise your thigh when you walk, as though climbing stairs, causing you to slap your foot down onto the floor with each step. Learn what causes them and exercises to help. Hooper's Beta video on lateral knee pain gave me some pointers and as the version of the Varus test described therein lightly triggered the pain, I suspected an LCL problem. Biggest hint is " In the first few days post injury I was unable to lift my left lower leg without experiencing some pain on the inner side of my knee while lying on my left side in bed " Minor meniscus niggles usually pretty OK for non WB non AROM movement like you described being painful (hints more at medial collateral too as the tib/fib torque Feb 28, 2020 · Patterns of knee injury among bouldering and rock-climbing athletes AJE Video Bytes 13.