RTP showcases climbing as a rehabilitation tool in Alcoitão
At the Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação de Alcoitão, adapted climbing forms part of the rehabilitation process for people with physical disabilities, helping to develop strength, balance and coordination, whilst also boosting patients’ confidence and independence.
Climbing a climbing wall may, at first glance, seem like a challenge reserved for athletes. At the Centro de Medicina de Reabilitação de Alcoitão (CMRA), the facility run by Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa (SCML), the activity serves a different purpose: it is also an integral part of the rehabilitation process.
The experience was recently covered by RTP, whose report was broadcast on Saturday (22nd), showing how climbing is being used at the Centre to work not only on physical abilities but also on aspects relating to confidence and overcoming challenges.
Under the supervision, guidance and support of the physiatrist, Dr Filipa Dionísio, the report follows three service users at the Centre – Samuel, Ronaldo and Aristóteles – for whom climbing allows them to test their abilities in a supervised and safe environment.
The CMRA’s adapted climbing wall was inaugurated in April 2023 and was part of a project aimed at people with various neurological and motor conditions, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, the after-effects of stroke, multiple sclerosis, amputations and orthopaedic conditions. The project also includes children.
Climbing helps to develop strength, flexibility, endurance, balance, postural stability and motor coordination. However, the identified benefits go beyond the physical aspect, as it can also contribute to concentration, self-esteem, fear management and the well-being of participants.
It is precisely this combination that makes the sport particularly valuable in a rehabilitation context. Each movement requires the individual to understand how to position their body, devise a strategy to reach the next hold and trust in their own abilities.
At CMRA, participants take part in the activity under specialist supervision and in safe conditions. Climbing is practised using the top-rope method, with a rope secured to the top of the wall and constant supervision by support teams.
From rehabilitation to adapted sport
The CMRA’s commitment to climbing is not limited to the therapeutic context. The Centre has also established itself as a venue for promoting adapted sport and social participation.
In October 2025, the CMRA’s facilities hosted the National Adapted Climbing Competition, which brought together athletes from different clubs and regions across the country. The initiative, organised in partnership with the Desnível Adventure Sports Association and the Portuguese Competitive Climbing Federation, reinforced the link between rehabilitation, physical activity and inclusion.
Climbing has thus become yet another means through which the Centre seeks to promote the independence and active participation of people with disabilities, on a journey that goes beyond the recovery of abilities and aims to restore users’ confidence to face new challenges.
In Alcoitão, reaching the top of a climbing wall can therefore be much more than simply completing an ascent. It can mean regaining a movement, overcoming a fear or discovering an ability that seemed lost.
