Back Strength Issues for Climbers

I agree with both of you, awarness is the key. How many times do you see young lads struggling with huge lumps of wood as some sort of macho game. Most are completly unaware of posture and postion and it takes a great deal of mental effort to think things through at work.

My mate broke his back in a trainning accident for 22 and spent nearly a year in a brace that made him stand up straight. It's quite funny watching him walk now LOL

He's now a Remedial Instructor in the PT corp so he knows his stuff.
 
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It is therefore no surprise, when climbers complain of back pain under or around the shoulder blades - the muscles have to work from a different fulcrum than that which they are designed.

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Can you elaborate?
 
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We agree with Matt's PTI being correct in terms of work related specifics - any form of poor technique in physical exercise, especially when oft repeated, will lead to dysfunction (beasted bodies). Sports, work etc.


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Hi One & All

What I'm saying I guess is that our own misperception of what 'body norm' is, is what 'beasts' our bodies. Not the specific actions that we carry out in our day to day work place. The wall of 'dysfunction' that we build may often be something that goes back beyond a point in time when we even knew what treework was. So to piece down that wall bit by bit, as you well know, is a life time journey. And when your at a base level again you need to work every day to not allow the wall to ressurect itself.

Obviously it's good to discuss work specifics but least we forget the rest?

Cheers
Nod
 
when i was young before i got into tree work i worked as a driver for a food wholesaler.....regularly carrying heavy loads on my shoulders, stupidly i didnt alternate shoulders as much as i should have and i had a lot of trouble with back pain....particulary cyatica(sp?)and was seeing an osteopath at the age of 16. since doing tree work i have had no trouble whatsoever in the past 10 years! i actually find the work therapeutic, specially when im in a harness.
 
I thought it was Andy's special attention that kept you fighting fit Steve LOL
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Lol, to be fair it was Forestry and scrub clearance work at 16-19 that buggered my back up. Bent over going for it cutting small pine and birch re-gen down. Thank god for clearing saws now :)
 
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It is therefore no surprise, when climbers complain of back pain under or around the shoulder blades - the muscles have to work from a different fulcrum than that which they are designed.

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Can you elaborate?

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Sorry I didn't get 'back' to you on this sooner Mahk.

The best analogy is tree mechanics and cabling - I bet you've sussed it already.

I showed dee Mathecks book on tree mechanics. She understood straight away, similar principles at work in the body.

Because wearing a high back pad prevents the spine and its muscles from acting along their entire length, as they are designed to be, the force is localised around the shoulders.

Similar to a tree that is staked too high, when it needs to flex low down to place adequate taper. The forces become localised in a higher area above the tie. The tree builds strength in that area. Trouble comes when the tie is removed, and the tree breaks lower down where it is weaker, when higher than average forces are applied above.

This helps explain why inappropriate back support can cause lower disc failure (when most people think the opposite), and dysfunctional muscle movement (pain and limited range of movement, leading to surgery/disability if un-corrected). A harness that prevents the spine from working along its length is inapprpriate for tree work positioning, in our opinion, because the muscular skeletal system is restricted, and the internal organs are compressed in two directions. This can also lead to kidney dysfunction and pain. A colleague I worked with for several years suffered from kidney pain about 15 years ago. After constant trips to the doc, stopping drinking alcohol and repeated tests, it came back there was no problem. But the pain continued; sometimes he'd nearly pass out with sharp pain. The past 10 years he has given up tree climbing, and worked as a lorry driver, and never had any pain since. His harness could have been a major contributing factor. The reason I mention it, is because during my rehab, i was asked by Dee if I or any climbers I new suffered kidney pain, because she wouldn't be surprised if they did.

The challenge comes from providing adequate support without limiting natural movement, or compressing internal organs, when designing a harness back pad.
 
Hey Mark, no I'm not related to Al. Though I do know him. I find that his Trap Bar really works great for me. Gives you a full body weightlifting workout w/out a lot of undue lower back stress.

Al's bar was the first and original trap bar. Now there are quite a few knock-offs.

Chris
 
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