Overuse injuries keep flaring up as I climb harder

Posting the problem here as I'd like to know if others have experienced the same thing and what they've done to combat the problem. 

I've been climbing for a few years, and can climb up to V6/5.12-. However, whenever I try to push above those grades, I get overuse injuries like elbow tendonitis, wrist pain, shoulder impingement, pulley pain.. you name it. I've done PT rehab for all those problems and have taken time off; sometimes they get better, but sometimes they don't. I try to climb 3-4 times a week. I don't do any climbing specific training like hangboard. However, I snowboard a lot in the winter, and run, and do legs and core workout a few times a week. So I am fairly lean and have good cardio fitness. 

I enjoy climbing a lot and I don't just climb for the grade, but plateauing at the same spot for 3 years is getting a little frustrating. If anyone has had the same experience and has worked through it, I'd like to hear from you! Thanks!

All of the injuries you are describing are imbalance injuries. It sounds like you need to do regular work with strengthening opposing muscles. Think push-ups, reverse wrist curls, eccentric bicep curls, scapula mobilization exercises and so on. 

One of hardest things to do in climbing or any sport is to diagnose a weakness in ones self. Too get to the root of what/why something keeps happening to yourself when you try to push into a new zone of difficulty is hard. I personally have found that my mind has taken me farther in breaking into new difficulties rather than just thinking about training. Maybe enlist the help of friends and or a coach. Think a lot about what it is you are doing or not doing that is holding you back. In your age bracket there is still a lot of room to mature into a much better climber/person. Above all never give up, keep laying the ground work for future projects and ascents. Keep questioning diet,training,project choice etc. It’s a long process and it’s best to keep an open mind and check in with yourself periodically to see where things are at. Good luck! I have always felt that ‘Life’s better with a project’

Check out this podcast: https://www.powercompanyclimbing.com/blog/2019/11/25/ep-153-dr-natasha-barnes-pain-science-for-climbers?adlt=strict Power Company has some good stuff on this. Training can also prevent injuries. Stronger muscles have more resilience... but you have to get it at the right intensity. I'm not an expert... but it may be worth looking into.

Story of my life. 

I don't have an "answer" but I can commiserate and share my story. PM me if you want to talk chronic elbow stuff that always drops perfectly when you're breaking the grade. 

I do all the stuff: strength training for antag systems, mobility, etc. And I own every book on the subject. Constantly searching for the root of the problem in my climbing style, training programing, etc.  It seems that psychologically I've never been able register when a training intensity is reaching diminishing returns... until it's too late. Suffice it to say, doing pushups sure as hell won't magically stop medial elbow pain. I'm far from an expert, disclaimer disclaimer... But as you continue your research on the subject you'll find that "rest" and time off will not solve tendon issues. Finding the correct rehab exercises and adjusting conditioning is the new school of thought. 

edit: OP, it sounds like you are relatively young in your climbing tenure. I recommend taking your time to adapt. My injuries are from being an idiot in my 20s and now I pay for it every year. 

There's a lot of good advice up thread.  Here's my take on it to add to what others have tossed out there.

You say you've been 'climbing for a few years, 'up to V6, 5.12-,' and have been 'plateauing for 3 years.'  It would be interesting to know the specifics behind those statements.  My personal experience with climbing is that progression happens really gradually and whenever I throttle up the intensity of my climbing/workouts, those symptoms crop up.  I've progressed relatively consistently over the past 15 years of beating my head against the wall, but often at a pace that's almost imperceptible month to month or even sometimes even year to year.  Depending on what 'a few years' means, you're pretty psyched to be climbing V6/12- in that time frame.  I think it took me at least 6 years before I was able to climb those grades ~25% of the time.

In terms of balancing training and rest to maximize progression, what seems to work best for me is to try and exist in the 70-80% effort realm most of the time and then bump it up to closer to max effort intermittently.  (like 25% of the time)  Again, I experience most of the issues you're describing when I spend too much time climbing and/or training to close to my max effort. 

I'd recommend spending a year or two on sighting everything you can just below your max. Give the body time to get used to that and then push harder. Lots of people's tendons don't just take to it. Took me a long time for mine to adjust to what I was putting them through.

I think there's two issues here. One is your feeling of frustration with, what you call, 'plateauing' although you also say you don't just climb for the grade.The second issue is your injury. I wonder, and I mean no disrespect, but do you feel there's something 'wrong' with plateauing? I feel V6/5.12 are quite respectable grades, and there's a LOT out there at those grades and less that are GREAT problems and routes that'll keep you happy for decades. Maybe just be OK with the level you're at and keep on doing it? Maybe DON'T try and push above those grades?

The second issue is your injuries. Don't ignore them too much. I did and ended up completely snapping the long head of my biceps in both my arms. I'm old (59) and have been climbing for only 9 years, but I'm very very happy to plateau for the rest of my life   

If you haven't already, you could take up trad climbing.  You'll probably climb less physically demanding routes, but still get to progress through new techniques, tools, and the mental game.  I suppose this might work out similar to the onsight-everything strategy mentioned above (I mostly onsight trad routes).

Side note: if an overuse injury doesn't heal with time off, you probably didn't take enough time off.  For awhile I lived my daily life in pain from running injuries.  I gave up running and everything cleared up within 6 months.

I've been climbing for a few years now, and have dealt with some of the annoying injuries you mentioned. But (knock on wood) things have been better in the last half a year because of one main change -- which is that, in the moment, I recognize moves that are too strenuous. In other words, I don't strain *super* hard anymore, because I almost always pay the price when I do. If I can't quite get a move, I work on finding a better technique. I don't just pull harder.

It doesn’t take Dr House to figure this one out. You are climbing too much. Try climbing 2-3 days per week and not on consecutive days. Do climbing specific warm ups and take 2 weeks off 1-2 times per year.
(All bets off on climbing trips)