Climber Physio Q&A: Dan’s Top Tips for Injury-Free Progress

At Quay Kinetics Physio, we’re not just climber-friendly — we’re climbers ourselves…

We asked Dan van Woerkens - Chartered Physiotherapist at our Boulder Exe site to answer a few questions. So here we go!

What's one common mistake you see climbers make that leads to injury?

→ Hangboarding too often, especially focusing only on max hangs or pick-ups without adjusting for the volume of actual climbing, is a common mistake I see. This can increase the risk of finger injuries far more than the potential gains if it’s not balanced well. I’m not against hangboarding at all — in fact, I believe every climber can benefit from a well-dosed, personalised, and periodised finger training plan that changes over time. Done right, it’s one of the best tools for staying injury-free and pushing grades.

What climbing injury do you treat most often in clinic — and how can it be prevented?

→ Recently, I’ve seen more climbers coming in with wrist pain — often wrist flexor tendinopathies or lumbrical strains. One big factor is a lack of mobility in wrist extension, pronation, and radial deviation. Because of how the hand and forearm work, good wrist extension helps you create a stronger grip with less effort. To prevent this, I encourage climbers to maintain forearm and biceps flexibility with regular stretching — around 3 sets of 30 seconds before and after a session is a simple way to keep that mobility and reduce overload on the wrist.

What's your favourite type of climbing and how does it influence the way you treat climbers?

→ It depends … I love sport climbing outdoors and bouldering indoors. As a climber, I’m often chasing grades in the gym, which helps me appreciate how important clear, measurable progressions are for bouldering rehab. When I’m outside on lead, I’m more focused on flow, endurance, and managing headspace — so with sport climbers, I tend to work more on building both physical and mental resilience. I think this balance helps me tailor rehab to what really matters for each style, so climbers feel understood and supported to get back on the wall with confidence.

What's one drill or exercise you think every climber should include in their training?

→I think every climber should include density hangs or velocity pulls on a block or hangboard. These help develop tendon health and contact strength, which often get overlooked if you only do repeaters or max hangs. A simple way to fit these in is to cycle them in four-week blocks as part of a basic periodised plan.

How does being a climber yourself help you understand your patients better?

→I understand first-hand how climbing injuries can affect not just your body but also your identity, mindset, and connection to a community. My own experience of the unique demands of climbing means I look for ways to adapt and modify sessions — rather than just telling you to stop for weeks at a time. My goal is to help you recover safely while staying connected to the sport you love, with rehab that’s practical, realistic, and truly tailored to your climbing goals.

Want to work with a physio who understands your climbing goals? Dan sees patients at Boulder Exe.