Climbing for preventing and treating health problems: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Buechter, Roland Brian; Fechtelpeter, Dennis

doi:10.3205/000142

Cited by 27 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…All of the secondary variables we assessed (health-related quality of life, coping, body image, anxiety, self-efficacy, global self-esteem, and interpersonal sensitivity) showed significant changes between pre-and post-test in the BPT group. These findings are in line with the literature, which has already demonstrated effects of sports interventions, and bouldering in particular, on several psychological variables (Buechter & Fechtelpeter, 2011;Fruhauf et al, 2019;Karg et al, 2020;Kratzer, Luttenberger, Karg-Hefner, Weiss, & Dorscht, 2021;Luttenberger et al, 2015;Mazzoni et al, 2009;Wallner, 2010). For selfefficacy and trait anxiety, especially Wolf and Mehl (2011) were able to show long-lasting effects of a climbing intervention.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Recent studies have indicated that climbing and bouldering have specific positive effects on psychological factors, such as cognitive abilities (Schnitzler, 2009;Wallner, 2010), self-confidence, selfesteem, self-efficacy (Mazzoni, Purves, Southward, Rhodes, & Temple, 2009;Wallner, 2010), social skills (Schnitzler, 2009;Wallner, 2010), quality of life (Kim & Seo, 2015), anxiety (Wallner, 2010), and mood (Lukowski, 2017;Luttenberger et al, 2015). Systematic reviews have confirmed that therapeutic climbing may have positive effects on health problems (Buechter & Fechtelpeter, 2011;Fruhauf, Sevecke, & Kopp, 2019) but have also highlighted the need for future high-quality studies, as many of the existing studies have suffered from methodological problems.…”

Section: Practitioner Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bouldering psychotherapy is not inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy in the group treatment of depression: A randomized controlled trial

Luttenberger

Karg-Hefner

Berking

et al. 2021

British J Clinic Psychol

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Objectives. Bouldering has shown promising results in the treatment of various health problems. In previous research, bouldering psychotherapy (BPT) was shown to be superior to a waitlist control group and to physical exercise with regard to reducing symptoms of depression. The primary aim of this study was to compare group BPT with group cognitive behavioural psychotherapy (CBT) to test the hypothesis that BPT would be equally as effective as CBT.Design. We conducted a randomized, controlled, assessor-blinded non-inferiority trial in which 156 outpatients meeting the criteria of a depressive episode according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to one of the two intervention groups (CBT: N = 77, BPT: N = 79).Methods. Intervention groups were manualized and treated for 10 weeks with a maximum of 11 participants and two therapists. The primary outcome was depressive symptom severity assessed with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) and the Patient Health questionnaire (PHQ-9) at the beginning and end of the treatment phase as well as one year after the end of treatment.Result. In both groups, depressive symptoms improved significantly by an average of one severity level, moving from moderate to mild depressive symptoms after therapy (MADRS difference scores: BPT À8.06, 95% CI [À10.85, À5.27], p < .001; CBT À5.99, 95% CI [À8.55, À3.44], p < .001). The non-inferiority of BPT in comparison with CBT was established on the basis of the lower bound of the 95% confidence interval falling above all of the predefined margins. BPT was found to be effective in both the short (d = 0.89) and long term (d = 1.15).

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Practitioner Pointsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bouldering psychotherapy is not inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy in the group treatment of depression: A randomized controlled trial

Luttenberger

Karg-Hefner

Berking

et al. 2021

British J Clinic Psychol

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“…Current research suggests that TC is a very promising therapeutic tool, especially for the physical or psychological effects of depression [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ], lower back pain [ 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 ] and multiple sclerosis patients [ 23 , 28 , 64 , 65 ]. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of rehabilitation for people with other diseases such as hemophilia and Parkinson’s, and the current study only provides one way of thinking about their rehabilitation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the subscale of body role limitation, the standard exercise therapy group performed better. TC functioned better on two subscales (physical function and general health), indicating that the effect of TC was as good as and even partially better than the standard exercise [ 54 , 56 ]. Kim compared the effects of TC and lumbar stabilization exercise over 4 weeks on 30 adult patients with chronic low back pain.…”

Section: The Effects Of Tcmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Origin, Application and Mechanism of Therapeutic Climbing: A Narrative Review

Liu

Gong

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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As an innovative exercise therapy, therapeutic climbing (TC) has attracted more attention than ever before in recent years. In this review of the related studies on TC, the authors explore its origin and development; summarize its therapeutic effect in treating depression, low back pain and other diseases; and further analyze its underlying mechanism. According to the literature, TC was primarily applied in the field of orthopedics and then was gradually used in neurology, psychiatry and psychology. It provides a new means for the treatment of depression, lower back pain, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. There are two potential mechanisms: physiological and psychological. In the future, exercise effects, adverse effects and exercise prescriptions of TC should be explored with large samples and high-quality randomized controlled trials.

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“…It involves non-cyclical whole-body movements that integrate elements of strength and endurance training [ 9 , 10 ], differing from traditional therapies by offering a holistic physical challenge that engages both the mind and body in a dynamic and stimulating environment. The versatility of TC, ranging from bouldering without a safety rope to tailored exercise regimens and rope climbing [ 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 ], allows for adaptability to suit individual patient needs and preferences, a key advantage over more conventional therapeutic modalities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Therapeutic Climbing for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Neurorehabilitation: A Qualitative Study

Schiffler,

Reiter,

Kapan

et al. 2024

Healthcare

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Background: Therapeutic climbing (TC) has emerged as a prospective rehabilitation approach for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The existing literature primarily focuses on the physical and psychological benefits of TC across diverse populations but is limited concerning its application and efficacy for patients with MS. Objectives: This study aimed to delineate the experiences, subjective effects, and perceptions of both individuals with MS and therapists regarding TC, highlighting the potential benefits and challenges of this therapeutic approach. Methods: Using a qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients living with MS (N = 5) and therapists (N = 7) involved in TC sessions at a rehabilitation facility. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and subjected to thematic qualitative text analysis. Results: Our analysis resulted in the identification of five main categories: (1) motivational factors, (2) training conditions, (3) training content, (4) observed effects, and (5) safety protocol. Our findings primarily centred around the motivational aspects of TC. Participants consistently reported experiencing feelings of accomplishment, success, enjoyment, and increased self-confidence. Furthermore, TC was often perceived as a comprehensive intervention, addressing endurance, strength, flexibility, neuromotor functions, cognition, and mental health while having a low-risk profile. However, due to the demanding nature of TC, careful fatigue management is crucial. This entails personalised intensity adjustments during sessions and coordinating TC with other physically demanding therapies when implementing TC within a rehabilitation environment. Conclusions: TC shows promise within MS rehabilitation and can be considered safe under certain framework conditions. This research sheds light on its potential benefits, facilitators, and barriers and provides insights for practical integration into rehabilitation programs.

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Climbing for preventing and treating health problems: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Cited by 27 publications

References 29 publications

Bouldering psychotherapy is not inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy in the group treatment of depression: A randomized controlled trial

Bouldering psychotherapy is not inferior to cognitive behavioural therapy in the group treatment of depression: A randomized controlled trial

The Origin, Application and Mechanism of Therapeutic Climbing: A Narrative Review

Perceptions of Therapeutic Climbing for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Neurorehabilitation: A Qualitative Study

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