Prevalência de dor e desconforto devido ao uso de sapatilhas em praticantes de escalada livre no município de Curitiba

Abstract

Introduction: Climbers use small climbing shoes in order to increase their toe sensibility enabling them to step on small and randomly structured holds. In addition, climbing shoes provide support for climber’s body weight, applying specific tension over the forefoot of the shoe. This stress may cause finger joint injuries, nerve injuries, nail and skin injuries. Thus, it may still result on a foot helical structure misalignment. Objective: The aim of this research was to identify if the use of climbing shoes can influence injury related to pain and discomfort over the foot of a free climber. Method: The method utilized was a interview survey over 51 indoor climbers of different gyms located at Curitiba’s region. The research method was structured in 20 questions inquiring samples profiles, pain prevalence, discomfort and injuries, relating it to the type and use of the climbing shoe by different climbers. Results: for the pain prevalence, 98% of the samples related their pain to the foot region. Thus, the pain frequency over the right and left hallux was registered in 32,1% of the samples, and over all fingers, 26,8%. The most common complication, gathering 68,7% of the samples, was the presence of Plantar Hyperkeratosis (calluses), from which 37,1% of the samples had it over all fingers. However, there was no relation between the body mass index and climber’s age related to feet complications. On the other hand, the more experienced climber has shown more probability of developing such foot related injuries. Conclusion: the situation diagnostics pointed out that, despite climbers personal physical characteristics, gender, type of climbing performed, time of practice/climbing frequency, each climber are capeble of aquirying pain and discomfort related to the unstopable use and/or intermitent use of tight climbing shoes in their foot region, being also predisposed to foot injuries related to such stress.