The Effects of Therapeutic Climbing on Shoulder Muscle Activity according to the Inclination of the Climbing Wall

Kim, Eun Jeong; Kim, Se Hun

Abstract

PURPOSE
Therapeutic climbing has become very popular today, with it being reported as a new method for preventing and treating orthopedic trauma to the shoulder joint. However, objective studies on its effects on the musculoskeletal system are still lacking. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of wall inclination during therapeutic climbing on the muscle activity around the shoulder joint.
METHODS
In this study, the participants performed movements at three different inclination angles of 0°, +15°, and âˆ’15°. sEMG was performed to measure the activities of five different muscles around the shoulder joint (biceps brachii, serratus anterior, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, and lower trapezius muscles).
RESULTS
Biceps brachii muscle showed a significant increase at âˆ’15°, as compared to 0° (p < 0.01), and the serratus anterior also showed a significant increase at âˆ’15°, as compared to 0° (p < 0.05). Moreover, the middle and lower trapezius muscles also showed a significant increase at âˆ’15°, as compared to 0° (p < 0.001). Compared to 0°, all muscles showed decreased values at 15°, but the differences were not statistically significant (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
Therapeutic climbing may be a new therapeutic approach that can increase muscle strength and coordination in the sensory nervous system, since it can be used as a tool that promotes active movement by altering wall inclination and causing the user to generate movements according to the existing situation.