Golf Injuries
Golf looks like an easy game to play, hitting a stationary object with a club into a relatively wide open space. Historically golf perceived as a low-risk sport when it comes to injuries. However, many young golfers, especially those who lack proper technique, suffer from acute or overuse injuries.
WHAT TYPES OF INJURIES ARE MOST COMMON IN GOLF?
- Acute injuries are usually the result of a single, traumatic episode, such as hitting the ground of a submerged tree root in a sand trap.
- Overuse injuries are more subtle and usually occur over time. These injuries will more often stem from the stress that the golfer puts on the back and shoulders when swinging.
Poor flexibility is a key risk factor for a golf injury. Any limitations in range of motion (ROM) will hamper the golfer’s ability to achieve the proper swing plane, thus increasing the stress on the involved joints and muscles.
TOP 3 MOST COMMON GOLF INJURIES
1. Back Pain
You’re keen to improve your swing, but hours spent hunched over your club, along with the rotational stresses you put onto your back as you swing, can add up to serious back pain.
2. Rotator Cuff Injury
Avid golfers can end up messing up their rotator cuffs, which are the four stabilizing muscles located in each of your shoulders (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis). Rotator cuff impingements are when the muscles swell and pinch the space between the arm and shoulder bones.
3. Tennis Elbow and Golf Elbow
“Tennis elbow” refers to irritation and inflammation of the outer tendon, while “golf elbow” refers to irritation and inflammation of the inner tendon.
WHAT YOU CAN DO…
- Rest
- Alternating hot and cold packs
- Deep tissue massage
- Specific stretching program. Regular stretching can improve your range of motion and lead to a more fluid golf swing.
- Follow up with exercises designed to strengthen shoulder and back muscles.
- Use proper swing techniques when you practice
Do contact us if the symptoms persist for more than 3 days and get treatment immediately from us !!
Article prepared by Chia Pui Ni
Physiotherapist of Your Physio Kepong