Articles

    • How to Fix Fallen Arches

      Build strength and alignment to help eliminate overpronation and protect your feet and ankles.

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    • Hang Right Part 4: The Knowledge Quest - Lessons 2-4

      In the second installment of the Knowledge Quest, BD Athlete Sam Elias and DPT Esther Smith dive deeper into the training involved in rebuilding our core, rehabbing injury, and breaking through grade plateaus with this newfound understanding.

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    • Hang Right Part 4: Knowledge Quest - Lesson 1

      Esther Smith, DPT of Grassroots Physical Therapy, and BD Athlete Sam Elias share how knowledge of human anatomy and body mechanics can help us climb stronger and resolve injury.

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    • Hang Right-Part 3: Healing Nagging Finger Injuries

      The hangboard is often thought of as an apparatus that can strain the tendons in your fingers. But in this installment of the Hang Right series, Physical Therapist Esther Smith explains how the hangboard is actually the perfect rehabilitation tool to heal nagging finger injuries.

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    • Hang Right-Part 2: Elbow Pain In Climbers

      It's hard to find a climber who hasn't experienced elbow pain at some point. You’ve likely lowered from many a route rubbing your elbow to ease a nagging ache in your arm. Such was the case with BD Ambassador Brittany Griffith … that is, until she met Esther Smith. In the second installment of their Hang Right series, Physical Therapists Esther Smith and Katey Blumenthal explain the cause of elbow pain and tell us what we can do about it.

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    • Body Movement Made Simple

      Body movement is key to optimal health. You may intuitively know that, but do you really move your body each day? And do you also know that body movement feeds your cells and lubricates your joints, which in turn supports your entire organism? All of the systems in your body benefit from the change of place, position, or posture every single day.

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    • Hang Right - Part 1: Shoulder Maintenance for Climbers

      Physical Therapist Esther Smith joined Black Diamond (BD) Bootcamp for a few days to work with BD Athletes Babsi Zangerl, Daila Ojeda and Colette McInerney to address any injuries they had before training. This article highlights Babsi’s treatment protocol as her shoulder injury was limiting her ability to climb and train. Esther shares what optimal shoulder posture looks like when climbing, hanging and training.

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    Podcasts

    • The Power Company: Dealing with Climbing Injury with Eva Lopez and Esther Smith

      In this episode Esther Smith and Eva Lopez discuss how we can deal with climbing injury. Not the short view details of how to rehab your shoulder impingement, but the bigger picture ideas of prevention of, psychologically coping with, and the aftermath of climbing injuries.

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    • Training Beta: Ankle and Foot Injuries

      This interview is all about ankle and foot injuries. We talk about the most common ankle and foot injuries among climbers, why we get them, how to get a proper diagnosis, when to know if you should start climbing again and mostly… how to make the injuries go away.

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    • Training Beta: Hip and Knee Injuries

      This interview is all about hip and knee injuries. We talk about the most common hip and knee injuries among climbers, why we get them, what they feel like, how to get a proper diagnosis, and mostly… how to make the injuries go away.

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    • Training Beta: Neck and Back Injuries

      This interview is all about back and neck injuries. We talk about the most common back and neck injuries among climbers, why we get them, what they feel like, how to get a proper diagnosis, and mostly… how to make the injuries go away.

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    • Training Beta: Finger Injuries

      This podcast interview is all about common climbing related finger injuries and how best to heal them. You'll also hear helpful diagnosis tips and learn about preventative exercises.

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    • Training Beta: Elbow Pain

      In this interview, Esther talks about how to know what elbow ailment you’re suffering from, how to treat it, and how to prevent it from happening again.

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    • Training Beta Podcast: Shoulder Injuries

      This podcast interview takes a closer look at climber shoulder injuries and continues the discussion regarding the work that Esther Smith, DPT did with the women's Black Diamond Bootcamp and the "Hang Right" article that she wrote with Katy Blumenthal, DPT. This interview gave Esther the opportunity to share nearly 6 years of clinical insight regarding climbers, their shoulders and staying healthy.

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    Videos

    • BD Bootcamp: Babsi Zangerl

      Black Diamond invited Esther Smith to be the on-site Physical Therapist for Project Boot Camp, a training program for Black Diamond’s professional climbing team. She spent three days in San Diego, CA, working with Babsi Zangerl, Daila Ojeda and Collette McInerney. Her job was to address any injuries that they had before they began their training cycle. This is Babsi's story.

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    • BD Bootcamp: Dan Mirsky

      Grassroots physical therapist, Esther Smith, treats climbers and helps to keep them crushing. This is where the Pros come to get educated about injury and to heal in a proactive way. In the summer of 2015, Black Diamond sent three of their athletes to work with Esther during their three-month training Boot Camp. This is Dan Mirsky's story.

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