Have you ever suffered any of these
Common Golf Injuries
If you’re a regular golfer, you’ve likely experienced some pain, discomfort or suffered an injury as a result of your game . Whilst golf isn’t a high-impact sport, the repetitive motion of the golf swing can lead to musculoskeletal injuries over time. This risk increases if you do not warm up before you play or neglect a routine of stretching and strengthening exercises. Tight or weak muscles limit joint resilience, making the body more susceptible to strains and overuse injuries. Poor posture can cause additional stress on joints and muscles. Prevention is better than cure!
Common golf injuries include ;
Back Pain
Lower back pain is one of the most common injuries for golfers. A stiff upper back, weak core muscles, or an improper swing technique can strain the lower back.
Neck Pain
Looking down at the ball and rotating the head during the swing can lead to stiffness or strain in the neck. As the arm swings through it places traction on the root of the shoulder, which links up to the neck. Improving flexibility, strengthening your shoulders and neck, and practicing good swing techniques reduces the risk of neck injuries.
Shoulder Injuries
The repetitive rotational movements in golf, particularly out in front and across the body, leads to inflammation, strain, or even tears in the rotator cuff muscles and tendons. These injuries are caused by overuse (inadequate time to recover), improper swing technique, and lack of shoulder and torso flexibility and strength.
Golfer’s Elbow
Golfers elbow refers to tendinitis of the tendon on the inside of the elbow, which occurs from the repetitive stress of gripping and swinging the golf club, or taking too many divots, resulting in pain and inflammation.
Elbow pain can be caused by tightness in the muscles connecting to the elbow, shown above.
If you have tight pecs, rounded shoulders, use your thumb for texting, have tight forearms from lifting weights…any one of these could be a cause. Another cause could be nerve pain. That is a different topic covered elsewhere in these blogs. If these causes may be why you are not getting better, come and see A-J at Physio Body and Sole.
Wrist Injuries
Wrist tendinitis and strains are common in golfers, particularly in the lead wrist, due to the repetitive impact of the club with the ground. This can cause strain or overuse injuries, especially if there is limited wrist flexibility/strength & forearm strength.
Knee Pain
Your knees should support and stabilise you as you swing your club, however often poor hip or core stability, combined with frequent twisting, can put undue pressure on the knee joints, especially the lead knee, resulting in strain or ligament injuries.
Knee pain can also originate from tension around your tailbone. The nerves that supply the inner knee begin here. Alternatively pain behind the knee can come from inflexibility or sciatic pain.
Foot and Ankle Injuries
Walking the course, dragging or pushing a cart, can cause a torsion through the body that utimately ends up in the feet. Shifting weight from one foot to the other can cause strain in the feet and ankles. Common injuries include plantar fasciitis or sprained ankles, often due to improper footwear, lack of balance, or repeated strain from an unstable stance.
How Physio & Yoga can help
Physiotherapy
can be an effective way to diagnose the exact structure injured or causing pain, and therefore treat efficiently to relieve your pain and speed up recovery. With a thorough initial assessment by titled Sports Physiotherapist, A-J Peterson, you’ll receive a tailored approach to address your pain and regain strength. Treatment includes education about the cause, hands-on treatment for the symptoms, and a custom designed exercise plan designed to support your full recovery.
Functional Yoga
helps your golf game, and prevents injuries; it can enhance flexibility, strength, and balance, which are all essential to your game and to prevent injuries. A more balanced muscular system can better handle the demands of golf, and effective stretching improves joint mobility as well as muscular range of motion, particularly in the hips, spine, and shoulders— all key areas for a great golf swing.
Functional Yoga, taught here, can help your game!
Increased range of motion reduces the risk of strain or overuse injuries. Functional yoga builds core strength and stability, supporting proper posture and helping protect the lower back, a common area of pain for golfers.
