Belayer’s Neck: Injury Prevention

Have you ever finished a long day of climbing (and a long day of belaying) with a sore neck? Like a dull-ache-sort-of-feeling in your neck that maybe lingers for a few days? This could be belayer’s neck.

“Poor belaying postures repeated over time can lead to belayer’s neck. The three characteristics that lead to poor posture are a backward tilted neck, slumped spine and forward shoulders. To achieve proper posture, you need to keep your head, neck and shoulders within a plumb-line.” -Dr. Jared Vagy (aka The Climbing Doctor)

Belayer’s neck happens because of poor posture while you’re belaying. Consistently tilting your head back to look up at your climbing partner causes the muscles in the back of your neck to overwork and strengthen, while the muscles in the front of your neck become weak. This imbalance can lead to the pain you may be feeling.

Fortunately, in this article by Dr. Jared Vagy from his site, theclimbingdoctor.com, he shows you a few physical therapy exercises you can be doing to prevent belayer’s neck.

These preventative exercises should help keep your neck feeling less sore which is obviously ideal especially if you have to give long belays! (I recommend belay glasses as well!). As always, be sure to give attentive, safe belays!

CLICK HERE: Injury Prevention: Belayer’s Neck

(photo courtesy of theclimbingdoctor.com)

To hear more from The Climbing Doctor, be sure to listen to our podcast interview with him, here. Dr. Vagy also wrote an awesome guide to preventing climbing injuries which you can learn about, here.

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