Golfing can be relaxing and therapeutic: the swing and follow-through, the quiet concentration, the satisfying whack as the club connects with the ball. But what happens when your back stiffness halts your swing midway? What do you do when joint pain starts affecting your golf game?
Fortunately, there are a few ways for you to protect your joints and help your golf game all at the same time.
Improve Your Golf Game
AdventHealth is committed to helping bodies perform their best with our Sports Med and Rehab care teams. In some locations, we even have programs like Golf Fore Life designed specifically for golfers. Our certified experts will assess every phase of your swing with our golf swing analysis and functional movement screen. This is a simple and fascinating way to find out whether or not your swing is hindering your golf game or causing injuries.
Our sports medicine experts can help you improve your golf game and protect your body by:
- Analyzing joint motions at the hip, knee and elbow
- Ensuring you control balance and weight shift through your swing
- Focusing on stability and positioning at finish
- Helping you achieve the proper pattern of mobility and stability sequencing throughout your swing
- Maximizing the energy transfer in your swing
Key Factors for Injuries
Many people injure themselves simply because they do not stretch. A survey showed that more than half of the golfers who warmed up for 10 minutes or more before golfing had fewer than half the injuries than those who did not warm up. Another cause of injuries is the fact that golf is a repetitive sport. For this reason alone, many strains occur with the shoulder, neck, back, ankles and other areas of the body.
Because of the movement involved in a quick swing, the twisting motion of your spine, hips and knee, it's very necessary to warm up those joints. Be sure to incorporate core strengthening and a good warm-up routine to avoid injury.
Common Orthopedic Conditions
Orthopedic care addresses a wide range of injuries and conditions. Some specific injuries and diseases our orthopedic specialists treat include:
- Bicep tendonitis, frozen shoulder and shoulder separation
- Dislocated hips, bursitis and tears in the tissues surrounding your hip, such as cartilage tears or labral tears
- Foot and ankle conditions, such as fractures, sprains and Achilles tendinitis
- Knee pain from osteoarthritis, tendinitis or rheumatoid arthritis
- Nerve injury, arthritis or fractures that affect your hand and wrist
- Orthopedic conditions in children, including scoliosis, leg length discrepancies and bone tumors
- Repetitive motion injuries like bursitis or carpal tunnel syndrome
- Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, as well as dislocations and fractures of the elbow joint
Healing Your Pain, Safely
Your orthopedic specialist has a full suite of options to help you heal if a sports injury does occur — everything from medications to the most minimally invasive surgery to other procedures. Some of the orthopedic treatments we offer include:
- Arthroscopy
- Casting and bandaging
- Cortisone injections
- Interventional pain management
- Joint replacement implants or joint replacement surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Physical therapy
- Reconstructive surgery
You’ll also have access to a team of rehab specialists to help you return to full activity. Our physical therapists, athletic trainers and more will help you regain your strength, flexibility and confidence.
Getting Back on the Links
For many people, golf is a relaxing hobby — something they can do to de-stress. But when the very hobby you choose for relaxation is causing you pain and injuries, it’s time to seek help from the whole-health experts.
Still have questions? We’re here to help. Visit our website to learn more.
