Surgery to E10: My approach to regain strength and confidence
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 сен 2024
- In June I had my fourth ankle surgery. In this video I describe my psychological and practical strategy and tactics for regaining lost fitness and confidence as fast as possible. My book on climbing injuries: www.davemacleo...
Chronically injured ankles unite!
Broke L1, L2 and L3, hips in 3 places, both calcaneums and my knees after a groundfall, at 42. Loooong way back but as you said, often it's after big injuries people actually get better. Clipped my hardest grade last week, 5 years after the fall. A friend of mine, who lost his leg to cancer, became amputee world champion some years ago, being better than with 2 legs.
What helped me the most in the process, I guess, is state of mind. Basically I was fine with any outcome, as long as I could climb again. Even in a wheelchair. When I was finally able to try climbing again, my projects were 6a. Had to rebuild everything, and adapt a lot of stuff. For instance I can't take falls anymore, either bouldering or rope climbing. So I top-rope the routes that are hard for me. That's one adaptation. It means I don't 'send' as such, but again I'm fine with it. I can climb again, train and project at a level I could not before, and that's compensation enough considering the impairments I have.
In a way, I never had difficult moments. I take life as it comes to me, adapt, and keep going. Maybe having been a severe asthmatic as a kid and teen imprinted in me that as long as I breathe, things are fine. The rest is just a bonus. Either way, I'd still recommend people stay away from groundfalls, but if they don't listen to me they can cling on to the notion that there may be light at the end of the tunnel.
Well done, Dave. In may I decked and broke my arm, my back in three places, and my legs in ten places. Somehow I made a full recovery and was back climbing just 2 months later, but I know how tough these things can be now. Lets hope this is the last ankle surgery.
Wow dude.. are you a believer now? Good to see you made it trough
@@dennis1802 I'm a believer in having used up every gram of my luck in one accident
Dave you are a legend. Thanks for continually posting such excellent, practical advice and insight. You have helped me progress massively as a climber and I know countless others.
Thank you, Dave! besides the inspiration that I get from your videos, I’m getting really good at my Scottish accent.
I am looking at having my second ankle surgery soon, and I really appreciated the reminder that one can climb their strongest after an injury; my best climbing was in the two years after my first surgery, and now I'm actually looking forward to what comes next (in a guardedly optimistic sort of way).
Not sure if you see these comments, Dave, but I really appreciate this video so much. I'm 44 years-old and am having microfracture of the talus and a Brostrom procedure tomorrow. I sent a few emails to ya regarding this topic, and I am grateful you put all this heart and soul into talking about the journey. You've been a big inspiration to me over the years and I hope to make a full recovery and be leading hard again next year. Cheers!
This video is so helpful. I'm 28 and have had chronic shoulder pain for over a year due to an overuse injury, and during that year there have been many many times where I've had extended periods of feeling very down as a result. I got into climbing just this year after the pain subsided a bit, but recently found out I actually have mild osteoarthritis in my AC joints. I know my shoulders will never be 100% again but this video makes me realise that I can still do the things I want to do, just with a bit of an added challenge haha
Hi Dave. I recently had a bad fall while indoor bouldering, which caused me an elbow dislocation and break part of my humerus, ulna and radius. I am now awaiting surgery to put the bones back in place.
I spend many hours thinking about whether I will ever be able to climb normally again, whether I will ever be able to climb a rock again without thinking about my fall. Your videos encourage me and help me to keep that hope alive. Thank you so much for the incredible work you do.
Great video! I love your psychology of climbing videos. The mental tricks and tips you give about training and mindset have been big help my sport and especially my Trad head game. A couple months ago I went from only ever climbing 5.7 to leading 5.10a Trad in a day. Which I credit to watching your videos.
I love this guy; he's just so real
Unbelievable Dave, you posted a great talk on issues that I needed to hear this Christmas Eve. What you say about injuries apply for many challenges in life as well. Love your way on working on issues, looking on opportunities and positive sides through the black clouds. Healing mentally is so important! Very happy Christmas to you and your family.🎄☃️
This video couldn't have come at a better time for me! Thanks for making this thoughtful and insightful piece. There's a lot of wisdom in what you say and how you see the world.
Thank you for this video Dave, really well said. Dealing with a bunch of injuries myself currently, and honestly, it has weighed a lot on my mental health. Your thought process and experience on this topic is something I really needed to hear.
Thank you Dave
Watched this while having had several clean top rope ascents of what will be my first E8. Confidence building stuff
This video could not have come at a better time for me! Thank you so much. I just injured myself last week and have to take some time off climbing. Worrying I may never get back to where I was and all the trips I'm going to miss out on. It has been depressing to say the least.
Your attitude and lessons in the video are so valuable. Thanks you!
Snake broke her Radius and Ulna 6 weeks ago coming off the top of an indoor bouldering wall and landing facedown with her arm under her. Obviously being 7 she has magical recovery powers but the same doubts persist. Her first question being .. when will I be able to climb again dad. So that thought process is ingrained in from an early age. As such I was keen to reinforce the importance of recovery, rehab and progression. She had the cast off 2 weeks ago and is back on the wall. She has been dutiful about rehab and now has full range of motion back, if not all her strength. I think positive mindset is crucial ... but what is just as important is the rehab work too. Making your body as strong as possible to avoid injury in the first place. You can't avoid all injuries but you can prevent many and prepare better for when they do happen. This was another top notch video and laid bare the thoughts and efforts required to recover and get back to being your best .. even if that is with a new normal. You can and will accommodate change.
Rarely comment on youtube - but this video was great. Had a spinal operation at 22 and it took me so long to come to terms with the fact I will have pain everyday from then forwards. I appreciate you including the reality of certain injuries at the start. Now at 30 still climbing on but like you say just needed to adapt and learn to enjoy my life and celebrate the achievements I can attain !
Thank you for sharing and making this video! I relate incredibly to this, and it has presently helped me so much to hear your story. A month ago I went through with a foot surgery that was hanging over my head for nearly a year (I managed to nearly break my tailbone the day before surgery, and thus post surgery has been much more difficult). It was/is incredibly hard on me, as climbing became a passion of mine after a painful dead-end-job in a difficult career field. Even with surgery looming, I kept trying to climb until I physically was both unable to climb and in too much pain. Climbing, once a source of great joy and challenge, became something that brought me immense suffering, and that was hard to accept and come to terms with when I continued to climb with my bad foot. I've fought many similar psychological battles as you've described, both before and after surgery. Your story has given me renewed motivation to begin training once I can comfortably stand and sit again. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you Dave MacLeod - Another top notch video! This is a very useful exploration of sports psychology, so well thought out and packed with applicable advice for any athlete. It has made me reflect on how I have psychologically approached my injuries in the past and I will definitely be putting some thought into how to deal with them better. I had honestly not even considered how I was approaching them in my mind but will now pay attention to this. Framing recovery as a satisfying goal in and of itself is genius.
Great video, Dave. Am struggling myself with a shoulder/bicep injury. The things you talked about touch every single thing and emotion that am feeling myself. So thank you for the inspiration to keep trying with the rehab and looking forward to better times again. Cheers Dave.
Nice one once again Dave. It's interesting to hear the mental recovery of the injury, it's a huge part of the recovery. I always find this harder than physical recovery. It's the doubt or worry that I won't be able to get back to where I once was. Well done on your recovery Dave 💪
Your insights on injury and recovery are the best - thanks!
This video is gold.
Great video. I had a spinal fusion for chronic back pain a couple of years ago and can relate to so much of this. In particular the need to accept where you are and then think ‘what do I need to do right now to make progress?’ Whether that’s rehab, rest, doing something purposeful or fun stuff to feed the soul. Bit like trudging up a mountain - just take the next step. Just torn my rotator cuff so this is a timely reminder of what I need to do now! Good luck with your future projects, thanks for the vids
Such sage advice. Thanks Dave.
I haven't climbed in a few years after ACL surgery. I'm fit enough, but the psychological aspect has really held me back. I'm hoping to get back to it this year. This video has been great!
Nice dave. Very inspiring video
I'm in recovery from 2 massive tears to my rotator cuff. Sweing other climbers recovering from injuries is a big boost for me at the moment. I am, however, twmpring my optimism at present.
shoulder labral tear for me, range of motion will never be the same. Tore it almost completely off before it was diagnosed. funniest part was that my doctor said it was bursitis, I knew better tho and had it checked out by a physiotherapist. Had me booked in for an mri then a surgery soon there after. Was in my last year of highschool basketball and missed out on my chance to get a scholarship. 7 years later and climbing is the only thing that keeps me going
@14:56 thanks for sharing that.
Thank you for this video
“Made it look like E8”. “Yeah… good conditions”. Does that mean it’s E8?
Great video as always, but now you have to tell us what the book is about and when is it coming out!
Hi Dave, Thanks for the video, it is very helpful to me to see honest examination of the mental issues tied to recovery. Do you feel it is better to get very lightly back into activity (easy top ropes using good leg only & bum starts on easy indoor boulders and not really leaving the ground too far!) as soon as possible. Or focus on getting the other body parts strong and avoiding somewhat depressing "crippled" climbing? I ask from the perspective of having a ruptured achilles sitting in a moonboot. From a mental point of view would you be more in favour of waiting for longer or getting some time in on "climbs" no matter how far it is below where one was? I am very much in the "what if I can never do this again" head phase! Cheers
I had a meniscus tear from falling on a straight leg and also an AC separation. I couldn’t imagine that I’d ever be back to normal let alone stronger but that’s where we are currently. I’m sure I watched a video from you that helped my AC journey actually?
what surgery did you have? I also have post traumatic osteo in my ankle - had a debridement surgery and biocartilage in it recently and it's feeling better currently, but i am wondering what I may be headed towards in the future with this!
Yes, I'm curious too, I had a bad ankle injury about 15 years ago (tore off the end of my tibia and turned my talus to gravel), it got reconstructed and has been good until the past couple of years when the post-traumatic arthritis started to flare up. I'm about to pull the trigger on an ankle distraction surgery so I'm quite curious about which surgery you chose, and how you made the decision.
What track is in the background ? Inspirational video otherwise !
Is this on your better ankle? Is this the same ankle which you had the treatment in Germany on?
The other one - sadly I don't really have a better ankle now.
Do you not find indoor boulders interesting sometimes? Or do they really just don't add enough downclimbing options to make it safe?
Do you get these surgeries privately and do sposors ever chip in on things like this?
I did have a section on this in the video which I took out to cut the length down a bit. I got them all privately because I had no other option. After much trying, the NHS would not offer them. A long story. No, sponsors did not support them, although I did not ask them to.
First tells you that it’s not going to be one of those miraculous recovery videos. Then is out hiking and climbing 4 months after an ankle surgery.
What is miraculous about that?
@@climbermacleod I was under the impression that ankle injuries and surgeries usually take a long time to heal properly. But maybe that mostly applies to traumatic injuries with broken bones and torn ligaments, not to a controlled, minimally invasive surgery.
@@Mike-oz4cv Yes they do. I'm only in the early stages, just doing short walks to the crag and climbing routes well within my limit.
was you top rope soloing in this video i cant tell
why can't you tell? it's obvious.
A carnivore or animal based diet is incredibly powerful for recovery and prevention of injuries and soreness. At 67 i am now free of the problems and setbacks of the past.
I'm a physical therapist, this is going to be an important video for my patients. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and process of working through injuries physically and emotionally, it's really important for people to know they're not alone.
Thank you Dave for being such an amazing inspiration, and for posting such quality content. I'm coming up on my 5th surgery in 9 years. Your message keeps me focused and dedicated. Luckily we have arguably the most inspiring pursuit to pursue...climbing!!
Just getting round to watching this and i can fully agree with david. Wear a damn helmet. I was notorious for not wearing 1. September 2023 i pulled a large block off around an arms length that hit my head knocking me out instantly and fracturing my skull. 2 bleeds on the brain fractured skull, serious concussion and whiplash. Jan 2024 i am back climbing back at work but suffering from fatigue some days better than others. I would say operating at 80-90%. Dealing with recurrent migraines now. It was a very lucky unlucky accident. Take care out there folks.
Spot on Dave - on two counts: Firstly, for finally getting the route in the bag after all the post-op trouble and strife, and secondly, for creating a video that I'm sure I will watch again and again to help me get back to where i want to be (NOT from an injury, but from an ongoing extremely frustrating health issue that has prevented me from getting back to my main ultra marathon goals). I've bounced back before on numerous occasions over the years from injuries and other "accidents" in sport (and, yes, from motorbike related spills), but this health thing is different, and is proving far trickier for me to deal with both physically and mentally. That said, I'm bl**dy determined that I WILL find a way to more effectively manage the symptoms (pinning down the actual cause still seems to evade various consultants) and get back to, or at a minimum close to where i want to be. So this story, and some of the commentary within, will I have no doubt, act as a go-to reminder for those darker less confident times. Cheers that man!
Thanks for this! Had a knee fracture two weeks ago while bouldering, still figuring out if surgery is needed. Will be some time off for sure.
Thank you for this video. I've been recovering from my own ankle surgery from around when you had yours, and it has been very difficult dealing with not being able to climb. I don't know if I'll ever be able to (mentally) climb hard on boulders without fear in the back of my mind. Watching this and hearing about your own struggles gave me a lot of positivity for the future!
I broke my back and have dislocated my shoulder and coming back to climbing has been both traumatic and therapeutic. I did hear a great phrase about looking back at what's been lost and that was: 'don't focus on what you were or you'll lose the potential of now'. 😊
Thanks for this Dave! I ruptured an Achilles tendon after a fall 7 weeks ago and I’m waiting for reconstruction. It was really good to hear your advice on managing negativity during the post-op period and how to maximise the opportunities for recovery and training. Thanks again!
Great insight and well done on the climb.
Great video. Not really related to the subject but it's so nice to see all the regenerating birch and rowan around the crags at Glen Nevis!
Thank you Dave. You are providing so much inspiration and wisdom to us all. I’ve been through a few major injury recoveries myself and it’s so much about your attitude, which is hard to explain in a helpful way, and you do a great job of it.
Great video Dave. Side note - you might want to blur out your car’s license plate
Hey Dave, love your videos. Have you had any contact with the Ido Portal Method? Or Joseph Bartz, one of his former students who teaches online and in germany. They both have phenomenal rehab results with all kinds of injuries and degenerations with their movement based approached. I'm myself are 32 years old and had injuries all my life due to basically non existant sleep with my depression and thus bad regeneration of my body. Still i managed to come back from things like really bad impingment which was diagnosed to be operated, Stage 3 Jumpers Knee, also said to be operated and more injuries/degeneration likewise. I can proudly say i fixed those lesions with biodynamic osteopathy and the movement rehab approach of these guy, can squat deep with 100kg +, do parkour moves etc.. Just this year found my joy in climbing really and are now in the phase of rehabbing a pulley with a lot of informations from your videos. Basically a overuse from to fast volume increase and an alignemnt issue which promoted a bad aligment while grapping crimps with my pinky. Because didnt respect my condition, i guess, and was very motivated.
With your comment about you might not know how its gonna turn out in 10-20 years etc. i was just wondering, if you had contact with these methods and if not it might be a source to look into, although some of their idiology or methods might be difficult to try, not sure, as they are nowadays more experience based with their approach than science based, i think.
Wishing you all the best for your journey and can definitly relate and empathise with all your feelings and ups and downs concering injuries and the passion for moving.