Clinical Management of the Rock Climbing Athlete: Lower Body Injuries

Online Continued Education for the Healthcare Provider

Launching July 27th

Course Description

This online, self-paced continuing education course is designed to provide licensed rehabilitation professionals with a comprehensive, evidence-informed approach to the evaluation and management of lower body injuries in rock climbers.

The course emphasizes the unique biomechanical demands of climbing and their relationship to common injury patterns. Participants will learn to systematically assess climbing-related climbing injuries using a structured clinical framework, including subjective examination, objective testing, clinical assessment, and treatment planning.

Content includes common and clinically relevant pathologies such as ankle sprains, lower limb tendinopathies, muscle strains of the calf, hamstring, and hip flexors, patellofemoral pain, meniscal and ligamentous knee injuries, hip labral pathology and femoroacetabular impingement, low back pain and lumbar spine injuries (including facet irritation, disc pathology, and pars stress injuries), as well as less common conditions encountered in climbing populations.

  • Course Format / Delivery Method

    Online, self-paced (asynchronous)

    Instructional Methods:

    • Pre-recorded video lectures

    • Case-based instructional modules

    • Structured clinical framework application

    • Module-based quizzes (5 questions each)

    • Comprehensive final examination

    Course Date and Location

    Start Date: July 27, 2026
    Location: Online (Teachable platform)
    Format: Self-paced; participants may complete the course at their own pace

    Course concludes with a comprehensive final examination.

    Learning Objectives

    Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

    1. Identify and differentiate common finger injuries in rock climbers based on anatomy, mechanism, and clinical presentation.

    2. Analyze climbing-specific load demands and grip positions to determine injury mechanisms and tissue-specific loading patterns.

    3. Perform a structured, climbing-specific subjective examination.

    4. Conduct a comprehensive objective examination of the hand and fingers.

    5. Integrate findings to formulate accurate clinical assessments and differential diagnoses.

    6. Develop and implement evidence-informed treatment plans.

    7. Design safe, progressive return-to-climbing programs.

    8. Apply a standardized clinical framework across a range of climbing-related finger injuries.

    9. Demonstrate clinical decision-making through case-based scenarios and course assessments.

  • Kevin Cowell, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS, FAAOMPT

    Kevin Cowell is a physical therapist specializing in the evaluation, treatment, and performance optimization of climbing athletes. He is the founder of The Climb Clinic, a specialty physical therapy practice with locations in Boulder and Golden, Colorado, dedicated to serving climbers and mountain athletes.

    Kevin works with climbers across the full spectrum of ability—from beginners to elite and Olympic-level competitors—and serves as one of the Team Physical Therapists for USA Para Climbing and the Arc’teryx Climbing Team. 

    He holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), is a Board-Certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist (OCS), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (FAAOMPT).

  • Target Audience

    This course is primarily intended for licensed rehabilitation professionals, including physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, and other clinicians involved in the evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions.

    It is also appropriate for strength and conditioning coaches and other professionals working with rock climbers who have a foundational understanding of human anatomy, biomechanics, and injury management.

    Level of Instruction

    Beginner to Advanced

    Prerequisites

    Participants should have foundational knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy, evaluation, and rehabilitation.

  • Course Schedule / Time Allocation

    Total Course Time: 12.0 Hours (720 minutes)

    Module Structure (Modules 2–14)

    • Injury Overview

    • Subjective Examination

    • Objective Examination

    • Assessment

    • Plan (Rehabilitation and Return to Climbing)

    • Quiz (5 questions)

    Module Breakdown

    • Module 1: Introduction to Lower Body & Low Back Injuries in Climbing – 35 minutes

    Low Back

    • Module 2: Lumbar Spine Pain in Climbers (Facet, Disc, Movement-Based Pain) – 50 minutes

    • Module 3: Lumbar Strain & Posterior Chain Overload (Heel Hooks / Compression) – 50 minutes

    Hip

    • Module 4: Hip Labral Pathology & Femoroacetabular Impingement (High Steps) – 50 minutes

    • Module 5: Adductor / Groin Injuries (Drop-Knee, Stemming) – 50 minutes

    • Module 6: Hip Flexor & Proximal Hamstring Injuries (Heel Hook / Compression) – 50 minutes

    Knee

    • Module 7: Patellofemoral Pain (Load Tolerance & Volume) – 50 minutes

    • Module 8: Meniscal & Rotational Knee Injuries (Twisting / Drop-Knee) – 50 minutes

    • Module 9: Knee Ligament Injuries (ACL, MCL) – Falls & High-Load Events – 50 minutes

    Ankle / Foot

    • Module 10: Ankle Sprains (Lateral / Medial / Syndesmotic) – 50 minutes

    • Module 11: Calf Complex & Heel Hook Injuries (Gastroc/Soleus) – 50 minutes

    • Module 12: Foot & Toe Pathology (Forefoot Pain, Capsulitis, Shoe-Related Injuries) – 50 minutes

    • Module 13: Peroneal Tendon & Lateral Ankle Overload – 50 minutes

    • Module 14: Movement Strategy & Load Management (High Step, Drop-Knee, Heel Hook Integration) – 50 minutes

    • Module 15: Other Lower Body & Low Back Injuries – 35 minutes

    Assessment Methods

    • 15 module-based quizzes (5 questions each)

    • Case-based clinical reasoning questions

    • 30-question comprehensive final examination

    Participants must successfully complete all quizzes and the final examination to receive course credit.

    Additional Learning Activities

    • Case-based reflection and clinical integration: 70 minutes

    Total Time Summary

    • Modules: 620 minutes

    • Final Exam: 30 minutes

    • Additional Learning: 70 minutes

    Total: 720 minutes (12.0 hours)

  • This course series is approved for 12 continuing education contact hours in California (CPTA #___________) and in all states that offer reciprocity with California, including:

    Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington DC, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

    If you have questions regarding your specific state requirements, please contact your state’s licensing authority.

    We are also happy to provide documentation for registrants seeking individual approval from their licensing board. Requests can be submitted to info@theclimbclinic.com