The Swing: The Most Common Source of Golf Injuries
The Swing: The Most Common Source of Golf Injuries
Every golf swing places a lot of compression load on the spine. Studies have found that this force can be at least eight times a person's body weight. That's like having eight people on your back every time you swing that golf club!
Over time, all that force placed on your spine can make it go out of its proper alignment. This then overworks all the muscles, joints, and ligaments connected to it. This extra strain can give rise to painful golf injuries.
About 80% of golfers will experience lower back pain. And we KNOW the key to every golfer’s heart is not having to stop playing golf.
We break golf injuries into two tiers of players, the first tier being avid golfers, and the second tier being recreational golfers. For avid golfers, we see repetitive stress injuries from the sport being really one-sided. We work on spinal alignment and muscular balance to find asymmetries in the body and address them before they become an overuse injury.
The second tier of golfers is recreational golfers, the weekend warriors who make it to the course a few times per month. For recreational golfers, we see that their bodies aren’t prepared to take the capacity of a golf swing, so we work on increasing their mobility and making sure their body can accommodate the patterns of the golf swing.
Having the functional capacity and proper range of motion to support your swing is essential to treating and reducing further injuries.
Keeping injuries at bay is a smarter, even better reason. With regular chiropractic care, you can always be at your best during every round you play. Plus, chiropractic adjustments can also help boost blood flow bringing more oxygen to your muscles, making them less prone to injuries.
Ready to play better and live healthier? Then please feel free to get in touch with us now! We'll be happy to answer any questions you have about chiropractic care (and your golf game).
5 PRE ROUND GOLF STRETCHES
Bending toe touch. With feet shoulder width apart, bend down and extend arms to toes
Arm across the body stretch (don’t forget both sides!)
Back stretch. Laying on your back with knees 90 degrees, twist both knees to one side. Hold for 30 seconds then repeat
Lateral twists. Make sure to swing the club on the other side than normal. Engaging the opposite side for brain and body balance.
Wrist stretch. Pull the fingers back towards the shoulder and hold. Then push the fingers the opposite way. Repeat on both wrists.
