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Golfing Injuries from Head to Toe

The unique twisting motion of the golf swing can cause injuries from head to toe. Here’s a rundown of some common golf injuries and tips on how to avoid them.

Neck

As you swing, that twisting motion can lead to spasms, chronic neck pain and even pinched nerves. The more you swing, the worse it gets. Warming up with neck exercises before you practice or play will increase strength and flexibility – and reduce your risk of injury.

Shoulders

It’s no surprise that shoulder injuries are common among golfers. Strength training and adjustments to your swing can help you avoid tendonitis, bursitis and rotator cuff injuries. Don’t forget to handle your golf bag with care; just yanking those heavy clubs out of the car can injure your back or shoulder.

Elbows

Golfer’s Elbow is a painful irritation and inflammation of the outer or inner elbow tendon. This can result from repetition – or even from hitting the ground instead of the ball. Moderation is key.  Don’t wait until you feel pain to call it a day.

Wrists and Hands

Wrist and hand injuries are often caused by repetitive movement. Wrist Tendonitis is a common and painful injury which can take months to heal. Learning the proper grip and avoiding long practice sessions can help you avoid wrist and hand injuries.

Back

Back pain is frequently seen in golfers. Whether you’re swinging a golf bag or a golf club, herniated or slipped discs, muscle strain and ligament damage are all “par for the course.” It’s best to schedule a doctor’s visit for any type of back pain. What seems like a minor problem could be an indication of a larger medical problem. Warm ups and strength exercises can help prevent back injuries.

Hip

The pivoting motion of repeated golf swings is hard on the hips and can result in hip injuries similar to rotator cuff tears. Taking time to warm up, and incorporating a regimen of exercises that build strength and flexibility, can help you support the muscles that surround the hip joint and prevent painful and disabling injuries.

Knee

Uneven ground, a poor stance and the stress on your knees during the golf swing can all contribute to knee injuries. Our knees really aren’t designed for the rotation and side-to-side movement required to swing a golf club successfully. To help protect your knees, follow an exercise plan designed to keep the muscles in your hips, lower back, and mid back flexible and also strengthen the muscles around your knee joint.

Ankles and Feet

Ankle sprains, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, swollen feet and blisters are all common golfing injuries. Proper shoes and strengthening exercises will help you stay on your feet without pain or injury.

Take proactive steps to prevent pain and injury

Your swing is everything!

Proper technique will not only improve your game, it can help prevent painful and potentially serious injuries. Without it, the stress you place on your body is likely to lead to discomfort and pain.

Know when to stop! 

Adjusting your technique to “play through the pain”, doesn’t work. You’ll just transfer the same physical stresses to other areas of your body and increase your chances of multiple injuries and even more pain.

More than an ounce of prevention

A regimen of preventative measures like warming up, wearing the right shoes, strength exercises and learning the proper swing technique will help you avoid injuries and concentrate on enjoying the game. Check out these tips from the Mayo Clinic for proactive steps you can take to avoid painful golf injuries.

Know when to call you doctor

As always, you need to “listen” to your body.  Sometimes personal prevention or mediation measures don’t do the trick.  We are always available to answer your questions and if your pain does not improve, or gets worse, you should be in touch with a doctor.  Feel free to reach out HERE if you would like to have your questions answered, or if you need to make an appointment.

Filed Under: Back Pain, Golf Injury, News Tagged With: golf and low back pain, golf injuries, golf injury, golf pain, preventing golf injury, preventing sports injuries

Returning to the Greens: Getting Back on Course

golf courseIf you haven’t played golf in a while due to injury or weather or your schedule, summer is a great time to fit in a few rounds or even 9 holes here and there. Golf is great exercise and can be a fun way to pass the time with friends and family. Golf is lower impact than many other activities.

Returning to golf in general is a good idea. However, as with all potentially intense periods of exercise, you can’t just jump right into the deep end. Here are some ideas to help you get right bank on the links safely:

  1. Strengthen any weakened muscles. Squeeze a tennis ball and do wrist curls to strengthen your wrists. Do core exercises, including sit-ups, planks and other stretches to fortify your abdominal muscles, thereby protecting your lower back.
  2. Start with working on your short game. These shots are the least taxing on your low back, hips and shoulders. Getting out to a practice green and putting as well as practicing your chipping are important preliminary exercises to undertake prior to your first real outing with friends and family.
  3. Super-slo-mo your swing for the longer shots. Practice swinging with the club but really, really slow it down, so that it takes even as long as 10 seconds from back swing to follow through. Focus on your body: your hands, wrists, shoulders, hips and back. If anything hurts during these practice swings, address that body part before continuing.
  4. Place some tees around your yard and just make contact with the tees.
  5. Go to the driving range to get a feel for how effective your swing is. Perhaps you need to change your club choices or be much more deliberate about your posture. Don’t berate yourself, just find ways to compensate. Hire a golf instructor if you get frustrated for some fine-tuning.
  6. Before your first round of golf, give yourself at least 15 minutes of good warm-up prior to teeing off at the first hole. Stretch your arms above your head with the clubs in your hand. Swing your clubs. Stretch out your legs and your hips. Pay attention to your hands, too, clenching and unclenching them slowly.
  7. Change your goals for the day and maybe for a while to come: it’s not about a score; it’s about trying to golf without pain and with some sense of joy.
  8. You’re not in the PGA or LPGA. You are not required to finish every round that you start, nor even play every ball (depending on the rules that you follow within your playing group and the rules of the course). Take a break on a particularly challenging hole. Walk a little more if you can, a little less if it hurts.

Golf is a great source of exercise and camaraderie.  With some careful planning, it’s a sport that can be enjoyed for many years by lots of Michiganders.

Filed Under: Fitness and Exercise, Healthy Living Tagged With: preventing golf injury, returning to golf, safe golf playing

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