UKC

So I've managed to tear my hamstring doing a heel hook while bouldering. Doctor said about 8-12 weeks for a full recovery, although from past injuries I know it'll take me 8-12 months before I trust that hamstring again to really pull on it with heel hooks. 

I'm kinda pissed off because the past 3 months have seen me go from 6C average to 7A average, and even a few 7A+'s. 6C was a plateau for years, so it was kinda a big deal for me to smash past it so quick. 

I'm going to be working with a physio to rehab the hamstring, but I'm wondering if anyone has some advice on the best way to train in the meantime. 

I can barely walk at the moment, and that'll probably be true for a few weeks. Doubt any climbing is on the cards for at least a month. 

My usual training is just bouldering 3 times a week, and then some strength training (weighted pull ups, weighted dips, weighted fingerboard) once a week. 

So plan is to basically just do more strength training but obviously I want to avoid injury as much as possible. I am wondering how much of that is advisable. For example, could I do my (or a) strength routine 1 day on, 2 days off? Or would I be putting myself on a path to more injury? 

I really want to try and lose as little of my progress as possible. Unfortunately I do think that a lot of my progress has been technique gains, and confidence gains, rather than strength. But it can't hurt to come back from an injury stronger in fingers and upper body. 

I did mine a few years back on the backside end of the hamstring, it was very sore and took a while to fully trust it.

I couldn't sit without my whole leg going numb so resorted to working standing up with my computer, monitor on boxes. I also had the joy of a transatlantic flight shortly after I did it where myself and another passenger with a knee problem spent most of the flight stood at the back of the plane! When I did have to sit down I tried to hang the affected arse cheek off the side of the seat (I'd an aisle seat). 

I saw a physio and didn't climb at all for 6 or 7 weeks,  just did pull ups or similar. I was allowed to walk up small hills after a couple of weeks but it was still pretty sore and for months afterwards if I jarred that leg it would hurt and I'd worry I was going to re do it. My physio was great though and got me able to hillwalk and climb in time for trip to the Dolomites. 

Best advice I can give is listen to your physio and keep doing your rehab exercises for many months after it heals. It's really really common to re do them as folks tend to stop doing the rehab as soon as the pain goes.  

Wishing you a speedy recovery 

Sounds like it was the same as mine. Heard a pop (and so did others around me), and felt something go ping right under my butt. No swelling and no bruising yet though. Hoping that means a quicker recovery. Did you get much swelling/bruising? 

I'm a lot more mobile today, and can walk a fair bit quicker than I could the past 2 days. Not sure how much of that is just learning to walk in a way that doesn't use that muscle/tendon. 

I was getting all confident in my walking ability earlier then kicked the sofa going across the living room and it flared up my hamstring big time ha. 

My issue seems to mostly be hip extension. The backstroke of a stride is what hurts it, if that makes sense. 

I have a climbing holiday in Greece in 2 weeks, haha. Think it's gunna be beers on the beach for me. 

No bruising or swelling for me either.  Just made my leg numb if I sat on it. When I did it, I lifted my leg as if to place it in a bridging position, I didn't even push or add weight. It ripped and it felt like I'd been shot in the arse. Very unpleasant.

I really limped the first few days but that eased off quite fast and I could walk albeit not entirely pain free. My physio advised to avoid sitting on it if I possibly could so that it got as much blood to it as possible. Tendons have crap blood supplies compared with muscles. 

If I tripped or stubbed my foot walking I'd yelp for ages afterwards which sounds similar to what you experienced kicking the sofa.

Mine went with a very audible "twang" in my pre-climbing days. I was on crutches for 2 days, then hobbling for about a week, walking normally but with discomfort for weeks 3-5, then very gentle running from about week 6. It was 3 months before I could run close to normally and 6 months before I was fully healed and no longer felt any discomfort or had to modify my exercise in any way.

I've also done 2 less serious tears bouldering. Both times, I was able to return to some climbing within about a week. Easy slab climbing, with careful selection of what moves you attempt, can be possible very early on. Heel hooks, or very steep climbing where you're having to toe in to keep your feet on, will take a LOT longer. It took more than 6 months both times before I was able to toe in in a roof without any weakness or discomfort.

If you get any choice in the matter, find the best physio you can. Ask around for recommendations. Make your physio aware of how important climbing is to you, and how much effort you want to put in to ensure a quick and full recovery (this will likely set you apart from most of their patients who might be looking to do the bare minimum).

Once it is healing/healed, make sure you warm up your hamstrings extremely thoroughly. You'll be susceptible to relapses, even after it feels fully healed. Pulling on to that V3 in the cave at the wall before you're fully warmed up is likely to lead to relapses.

You'll probably be surprised with how quickly you'll be back to climbing 7As in some styles, and how long it'll take before you can climb a juggy V2 or V3 in a roof without discomfort or risking a relapse.

As well as strength training on the fingerboard, I would add some endurance and power endurance work on a fingerboard too. Rather than coming back with less endurance, use it as an opportunity to improve your endurance so it's better than it was pre-injury.

With a pulley, a harness/weight belt and some weights, you can do density hangs, repeaters etc at lots of different durations/intensities to target different aspects of endurance. If you've got something to keep your mind occupied, you can even do ARC training on a fingerboard. The Crimpd app and Lattice YouTube have lots of info if you're new to training endurance on a fingerboard.

Make sure you use a range of different grips too, don't do all of your training on a half crimp, or all of it on a drag, or you'll set yourself up for some big weaknesses when you return.

And make sure you monitor how your fingers are feeling throughout, don't overdo it and give yourself a finger injury too!

This is some great advice, thank you! 

Fortunately I signed up to BUPA about 6 months ago. Wasn't really doing it to protect against this kind of event, but I think it means I should be able to get as much physio as I want and see a specialist. I've had recommendations from friends for both, thankfully. So will be taking advantage of that. 

Ah man, the slight overhang walls are my favourite walls
Never liked the cave, but the 10-30 degree overhang walls are the fun ones! 

And slab is my least favourite form of climbing, but I guess this is a really good opportunity to practice it. However I'm also aware that slab tends to be the form of climbing where I take the weirdest and least expected falls which might be a bit risky. 

Thank you, lots to think about there. Didn't realise you could do ARC training on the fingerboard. I'd guess you'd need to remove a lot of weight via a pully. Unfortunately I don't think my gym has a pully set up where their fingerboards are. Might be able to rig something though.

I know you've seen a doc and if like some of the docs who come/go through my GP practice quite knowledgeable on sports injuries, but without any disrespect to docs, the people who deal with this stuff day in day out and see patients over time are sports physiotherapists. Round my way it costs £65/£110 for 30/60 minutes of *sports* physio appointments so not cheap! Also the variation between physiotherapists approach and effectiveness can be large so get a recommendation. If you can afford a session or two it might set you going in the right direction from the start. Best wishes for a speedy recovery 

Yeah, plan is to see a sports PT and get advice. I've had recommendations. Need to talk with BUPA and see how this excess stuff works. I'm guessing I just pay my excess per injury/ailment. So £100 for as much PT as I need, hopefully. 

My climbing gym has a PT they recommend, who specialises in climbing injuries. Probably just go with them, as they seem to get good reviews.