Climber/ Treeworker Injuries and Treatments

[SeanKroll]

Across our collective experience, we have a lot knowledge about injuries and treatments.

Share your experiences.

I recently learned that tumeric capsules are readily available as an antiinflammatory.




Stretching is important, especially forearm muscle... the more your fingers are curled at rest, probably the more you need to do this.

Pectoral muscle tightness pulls your shoulder forward... Stretch.

Calf muscles get right from standing in spurs, on branches, and ladders (I do a lot of orchard ladder work for spring fruit tree pruning).

 

[Altissimus]

Bass Ale after work , no exceptions ... (Coping Mechanisms)

 

[gf beranek]

A roll of black vinyl tape is like duct-tape, for small injuries. Better than band-aids.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Duct Tape.

 

[Benjo75]

Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. It's hard to get down at first. I mix it with a little warm water and a spoonfull of honey. Good for muscle cramps, arthritis, and all sorts of problems. So they say. I don't have any problems but I'd like to keep it that way. When I was falling timber all day I took it twice a day. Never had hand or leg cramps. I don't like medicine so I try natural remedies as much as possible. Mr. Beranek is right about the tape. I always keep it and blue paper towels. And super glue. It's good for the small cuts from when the saw isn't running. Which oddly enough is when I seem to cut myself with it.

 

[CoreyYLTG]

Suspension trauma and how to avoid it are worth looking into.

 

[stig]

Stretching is important, especially forearm muscle... the more your fingers are curled at rest, probably the more you need to do this.

Pectoral muscle tightness pulls your shoulder forward... Stretch.

Calf muscles get right from standing in spurs, on branches, and ladders (I do a lot of orchard ladder work for spring fruit tree pruning).

I always tell my apprentices that they have to do something physical beside just work.
Yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, whatever.
Something to loosen the body up after we have abused it working.

 

[Mick!]

Wet wipes, for when you're caught short. Stops that awkward walk from the knees downwards. Vaseline for really hot days.

Insulation tape for minor cuts.

I don't really dig all this stretching and exercise stuff, not necessary imo.

Get to the job, set it all up, have a cup of tea, get on with it.

 

[Bermy]

I just did a a trauma first responder course and I asked about suspension trauma

Basically if you are hanging in a harness that cuts off blood flow around your groin, you body ends up pumping the better portion of all your blood into your legs, because of the leg loops the blood can't get back up out of your legs, also the lack of movement in a heaped or unconscious patient slows down the natural pumping motion generated my moving legs.
When all the blood gets trapped in your legs they swell and then it becomes a specialised form of crush injury the swelling starts to crush you from the inside.
When cells are crushed they release cell contents, the worst of which is potassium. If the crush is then released that along with other toxins then heads around your body and leads to organ failure.
You have about 1 hr of being trapped before crush and crush release syndrome become a problem.
If a person is suspended and stuck you get them to 'bicycle' their legs, or try and get their legs up level or higher to prevent or relieve the pooling of blood in the legs.

 

[Altissimus]

The Ski Patrol I used to work for had a bad experience lowering a guy from broken chairlift , short version is they snagged the line thus trapping the guy. The Emergency harnesses used are not meant for long intervals , while they tried to figure out next move guy was hanging and trembling ... Was taken off the hill unconscious w a lacerated Liver.

 

[woodworkingboy]

What would cause a broken chairlift? Someone must have really paid for that accident. I mean besides the unfortunate man that lost his life.

 

[Altissimus]

Chairlifts break all the time , most cases the trouble can be overridden and the people are "run-off" slowly. Guy lived and sued.

 

[Grendel]

I always tell my apprentices that they have to do something physical beside just work.
Yoga, gymnastics, martial arts, whatever.
Something to loosen the body up after we have abused it working.

Excellent advice Stig.

 

[No_Bivy]

I like zinc oxide tape for cuts.

 

[gf beranek]

Never even heard of it.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I've heard of one - and the other... never together.

I had to google it.

 

[TreeMuggs]

Zinc oxide is a diaper rash ointment, didn't know you could use it to good effect on cuts. Good to know.

 

[gf beranek]

Ah.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I thought it was that white stuff you put on your nose for sunscreen.

 

[Bodean]

Zinka! Sunscreen.

Benadryl and eppipens for insect bites/stings

 

[TreeMuggs]

Zinc Oxide is used in diaper rash ointment from 15% to 40% strength. A quick search indicates it has all kinds of other uses as well, including sunscreen and first aid tapes. Very cool. I just use hockey tape at work for finger cuts.

 

[No_Bivy]

gymnast tape......used for crack climbing. Mueller seems to be best brand. keeps cuts clean, sticks awesome

 

[flushcut]

I'll second Mueller tape.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Zinka! Sunscreen.

Benadryl and eppipens for insect bites/stings

NAET (Nmbudrapods Allergy Ellimination Technique) a simple low cost method for clearing allergies so you may well not need the epi pen. And it makes life so much more workable for a host of other lower grade allergins one encounters.

 

[Merle Nelson]

Somatics, a method of reminding your mind to release the muscles. Muscles aren't "tight" or "hard" on there own. If they feel this way it is because they are engaged. One thing engages muscles, an electrical signal sent from the brain. Remind the mind how to turn off the signal and the muscle goes to its relaxed state. (Hint, cats and dogs do what it takes to remind their mind of this about every time they get up and start to move.)

"Stretching" works against this and in some cases can be the cause of additional injury.

GREAT THREAD Sean!