Training for Climbing, 2nd: The Definitive Guide to Improving Your Performance (How To Climb Series)

fastest-growing demographics, with hundreds—perhaps thousands—of young climbers now entering competitions and beginning structured training programs. Correlating to the rising popularity of junior competitions and the intensive training used by many participants is an increase in nontraumatic growth plate fractures, known as epiphyseal fractures. The common symptoms are slow onset of pain and swelling of the middle finger joint, and in some cases the inability to crimp grip on holds. The condition is easily diagnosed via X-ray.
    “Vitamin I” Use: The Good, the Bad, and the Alternatives
     
    Pain is a common companion of climbers. For some it’s the benign pain of muscular soreness after a hard day of climbing or a severe workout. Many others, however, unfortunately experience the pain of acute or overuse injury. Given the ubiquity of injured and sore climbers, use of NSAID medications to treat inflammation and mask pain is widespread. In fact, some climbers joking refer to ibuprofen as “vitamin I,” since they take it as if it were a daily vitamin.
    Daily use of NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin), naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn), and aspirin, does have its drawbacks, including risk of ulceration of the stomach, impaired kidney function, and anti-blood-clotting effects. Furthermore, regular NSAID use may actually slow muscle cell regeneration and hamper healing of muscles, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage (Almekinders 1999, 2003). Even more alarming is a study that found a marked decrease in the breaking strength of tendons after four and six weeks in ibuprofen-treated animals (Kulick 1986). In aggregate, these risks and side effects make a compelling case against regular NSAID use—and, the latter study may perhaps help explain why so many ibuprofen-using climbers experience tendon injuries.
    So what are the alternatives for treating the pain and inflammation of an acute injury, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after climbing or training, and the persistent pangs of an overuse injury? Let’s first examine the immediate response to acute injury, which is best treated with the RICE method (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). Icing the injured area for twenty minutes, three to six times a day, is highly effective for controlling swelling and reducing pain in the hours following acute injury. Continued use of RICE beyond the first few days following injury, however, will inhibit the healing process. (Get professional medical care if you have any sense that your injury might be serious or if it does not begin to improve given several days of rest.)
    What about the most common cause of pain among climbers—delayed onset muscular soreness? Some climbers use topical rubs containing methyl salicylate, menthol, camphor, or various herbs such as arnica for spot treatment. While the stimulation of massage and the warming or numbing effect of some preparations may reduce the sensation of pain, there is little evidence that these concoctions promote healing beyond the effect of massage itself. It seems that any measure or activity that increases circulation will promote healing; thus engaging in low-intensity general exercise or use of a whirlpool or heating pad are effective treatments for DOMS.
    Finally, there are those frustrating, slow-to-heal overuse injuries such as annular pulley strain, elbow tendinosis, shoulder impingement, and such. As outlined in this chapter, rest and rehabilitative exercise are the primary methods of treatment. NSAID use should be avoided, since these anti-inflammatory agents will slow healing and may even reduce tendon strength (as does smoking). Conversely, regular massage, heat therapy, and gentle stretching will encourage blood flow to the injured tissues and, thus, seem to be the best method to encourage healing once acute pain and inflammation have subsided.
    Perhaps the best anti-NSAID alternatives, for vitamin I addicts, are the omega-3 essential fatty acids found in fish. You may be familiar with omega- 3 EFA for its well-promoted preventive effects on coronary artery disease. Interestingly, daily consumption of fish, or fish oil supplements, also has been shown effective for treating musculoskeletal injuries and discogenic diseases (Maroon 2006). The effective dose to be heart-healthy is just 1 gram of omega-3 EFA per day; however, an everyday dose of 2 to 4 grams (more than you could likely consume from eating fish) is needed to provide the natural