The casual observer might read the title of this article and wonder…why? After all, golf isn’t exactly a high-impact, physical, or violent sport. So why would any golfer ever need physical therapy? It couldn’t possibly be from a golf-related injury, right? How does one even get injured playing golf?
Let’s put these stereotypes and myths to bed right now. Golf is a physically demanding sport that puts quite a bit of stress on the body–even if it doesn’t come in the form of a bone-crunching tackle, home plate collision, or sprained ankle.
Common Golf Injuries
Anyone who believes that a golf swing is part of a body’s natural motion has never taken a golf swing. The fact of the matter is that a golf swing–though it may appear fluid and smooth to the eye–actually puts a lot of stress on the body.
While not every golf injury is related to the swing, many injuries are, in fact, caused by the swing. There are many possible contributing factors–poor mechanics, overswinging, incorrect grip on the club, and insufficient stretching or warmup before playing, to name a few. These factors can lead to injuries to the following:
- Elbow: Tendonitis (irritation and/or inflammation of the tendon tissue) in the elbow is a common golf injury. You’ve probably heard the terms “tennis elbow” (injury to the outer tendon) and golfer’s elbow (damage to the inner tendon); ironically, more golfers suffer from “tennis elbow.” This can be caused by the repetitive swinging motion, an improper swing, and also age.
- Back: Between the upper body’s rotation from swinging and the constant bending over during a typical round of golf, it’s no surprise that golfers often sustain back injuries–both minor and more severe.
- Shoulder/rotator cuff: Golfers with smooth, fundamentally sound swings are probably less likely to suffer from a rotator cuff injury than a more inexperienced golfer. Injuries such as bursitis, tendinitis, and tears to the rotator cuff often occur due to poorly executed swings.
- Wrist: Just the repetition and motion of golf swings can lead to pain and tenderness in the wrists.
- Hip: Given all of the hip movement in a typical golf swing, injuries to the joint are pretty common in golfers. The twisting and pivoting of the upper half of the body from the hips can lead to a significant amount of stress to the joint and socket.
Of course, other injuries are relatively common in golf as well–feet, ankles, neck, and hands, for example. But the injuries above tend to afflict golfers more than any others.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Golf Injuries
Fortunately for golfers, the injuries we discussed are all generally treatable through physical therapy. At Physical Therapy Now, we help golfers feel their best so they can get back on the links again. We see injuries such as inflammation, sprains, and strains, and we know just the right treatment to alleviate the pain and help prevent the injuries from recurring in the future.
Whether it’s massage therapy, aqua therapy, muscle strain/sprain therapy, or exercise therapy, our highly skilled and experienced physical therapists will work with you safely and effectively to reduce your discomfort, get past your injuries, and enjoy pain-free golfing.
Physical Therapy for Golf
If you love to golf but feel nagging aches and pains whenever you play (or if you have a more severe injury affecting your game), call Physical Therapy Now at (800) 481-4582 to set up your first appointment. We know you want to be out there playing in this beautiful weather, and we can help get you there through high-quality physical therapy at your neighborhood PT Now location.
