Tag Archive for: golf injuries

golf injuries

Five Common Golf Injuries and How to Avoid Them

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Golf is a beloved passion enjoyed by millions around the world, and the season has officially begun here in New England. Let’s talk about golf injuries. Most golfers won’t let anything get in the way of tee time – but when you’re dealing with back, knee, elbow, or shoulder pain – playing 18-holes is just not as fun.

An injury of any kind during golf season not only impacts your performance – but it keeps you from enjoying the game to the fullest.

Your buddies are walking the course while you have to drive the cart… Instead of focusing on your swing, you’re thinking about your pain and whether or not you should push through it…

The good news is that with the right knowledge and preparation, you can avoid some of the most common injuries impacting golfers.

Here are five of the most common golf injuries and what you can do to avoid them:

1. Back Pain

Back pain is the most common injury to plague golfers. Repetitive bending and twisting is a well-known source of back problems – and that’s literally all you’re doing when you play golf. While practicing proper swing mechanics can help, it might not be enough.

If you lack adequate mobility in your spine, for example, the best swing in the world won’t compete. It’s important that you take time to optimize and maintain good spinal mobility during golf season.

Stretching backwards regularly, and avoiding excessive sitting during the day, are two things alone that could make a huge difference in your back mobility – and pain – and help you to get through golf season injury-free.

2. Elbow Tendonitis (Golfer’s Elbow)

Golfer’s elbow occurs when the tendons on the inside of your elbow become inflamed from the repetitive swinging motion of the golf club. Once again, good swing mechanics can go a long way in preventing this from happening. But it’s also important to consider what’s happening above and below your elbow joint.

If you’ve got a weak rotator cuff, or weak and stiff wrists for example, your elbows will experience added and unwanted strain when trying to do something like swing a golf club. It’s important that you perform regular conditioning of these areas (both mobility and strength) during golf season to keep your elbows from suffering the consequences.

3. Knee pain

Between walking 18 holes, and the repetitive twisting that happens at your knee when you swing a golf club, there’s the potential for lots of stress (and injury) through your knee joints.

If you lack adequate mobility or stability in and around your knees, you could develop pain as the season goes on. The power in your golf swing should come from your hips and core, not from your knees (or back). If they aren’t very strong, your knees could take the brunt and eventually suffer.

Much like the elbow, the most common source of knee pain comes from the joints above and below, and not necessarily from the knee itself. To keep your knees mobile and healthy, and prevent them from getting overstressed during golf season, it’s important that you take measures to optimize the strength in your core and hips, as well as the stability in your feet and ankles.

4. Rotator cuff (shoulder) Injuries

Another common injury for golfers is strain, tendinitis, or impingement of the rotator cuff. Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body, and the rotator cuff’s job is to provide strength and stability to your shoulder joint. If it’s weak, or compromised in any way, you could eventually see problems during golf season.

There’s quite a bit of stability required from your shoulder joint to withstand the acceleration and deceleration forces that come with a golf swing. The repetitive swinging of a golf club could take a rotator cuff on its last leg and push it over the edge.

As mentioned several times already, work on your golf swing. But given you don’t want your shoulder girdle or rotator cuff bearing all the strain, you have to make sure your core is strong, as well as your mid back muscles and upper thighs and hips.

This group of “powerhouse” muscles will give you a stable foundation so the more distal areas of your body (knees, elbows, and even shoulders) don’t get injured from having to work so hard.

5. Wrist and Hand injuries

Wrist and hand injuries – such as sprains, strains, and even fractures – are also quite common in golf due to the gripping and twisting of the club.

Using proper grip technique when holding your club is paramount, but you’ll also want to make sure the club you’re using isn’t too heavy or long. And as mentioned previously, make certain you’ve got a strong and stable shoulder girdle, because much like the elbow, your wrists can compensate for weakness above the chain.

But one overlooked area when it comes to wrist and hand problems is your neck.

Did you know that 47% of upper extremity pain (including wrists and hands) can come from a source in your neck?

An underlying neck problem could be the cause of your weak hands and wrists, if this is the case, working on grip strength will not make a difference. You must first resolve what’s going on in your neck.

Hopefully these tips help you to understand why golf injuries happen and most importantly, how to prevent them.

If you try these tips and are unsuccessful, then it might be time to talk to an expert who can help you work through these aches and pains so you can be back on the course in no time.

Are you dealing with pain now and local to Portsmouth, NH?

Consider talking to one of my specialists for free. Tell us everything that’s been going on with you, and determine for yourself if we’re the best people to help you. CLICK HERE to speak with a specialist.

tight hips

Two Reasons People Avoid Exercise Over Age 50

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Should you truly “avoid exercise” once you’re over 50?

Over the course of my career, I’ve worked with many folks over the age of 50 who are enjoying the same activities they did in their 40’s – including surfing, playing tennis, hockey, running, hiking, etc. – so the short answer is “No”. None of these activities are considered “easy on the joints” – and yes, you might have to make some modifications to continue enjoying them – but you certainly don’t have to avoid exercise if you don’t want to.

So why is it that some folks see age as just a number, whereas others see age as a time to slow down and stop doing certain things? 

Once you’re over 50, the two most common reasons I see people avoiding activities they love is because

1) they fear pain could be causing damage to their body and

2) they were simply told to by a medical professional. 

  1. Fear that pain could be causing damage 

When it comes to musculoskeletal pain, the pain itself is typically not the biggest concern for most. People are willing and able to tolerate a certain amount of pain at the expense of doing what they truly love. We do it all the time in our 20’s or 30’s. But as we age, fear starts to set in when we’re in pain. We naturally become more cautious with activity and begin to question what the pain could be doing to our bodies. Plus, as you get older, it becomes harder to recover from injuries, leading some to rationalize for themselves that it’s better to just avoid certain activities altogether because it’s “safer” than getting injured.

So does pain mean we’re doing damage? Not necessarily. Pain is simply a signal from your brain that it wants you to pay attention to something. You shouldn’t ignore it, but you don’t have to fear it either. Oftentimes, pain just means you might have to adjust or modify something. Once you understand what your pain is telling you – you can take appropriate action. This is one of the secrets to being able to continue your favorite activities well beyond your 50’s. Learn how to “talk” to your pain.

  2. A medical professional told you to avoid exercise 

When we’re younger, we’re more likely to address pain with a wait-and-see approach. But as we age, pain becomes a bigger concern and we’re more likely to seek professional medical help sooner. While this would seem prudent, the problem is there are a lot of well-meaning medical professionals out there who aren’t always up to date with the latest research. The consequence? Mixed messages and “old school” advice for many of their patients. 

For example, many doctors have come to rely on images (X-rays and MRI’s) to base their diagnosis of musculoskeletal pain and subsequent treatment plan/recommendations. If your X-ray shows “bone on bone” arthritis, they start talking about joint replacements – and/or tell you to stop doing any activity that could “damage” your joint further. But the current research disputes this line of thinking, and says 70-80% of all musculoskeletal problems (even when you’re over 50) can be solved without a procedure or surgery. How your pain behaves is what matters most. Not your age, arthritis, or images.

Here’s a real life case study that illustrates what I’m talking about.

Not too long ago, I met a 55-year-old woman (we’ll call her Kate). She was having knee pain that interfered with her hiking and running. She was told by her orthopedic surgeon that knee replacement was her only option. This was because of the “bone-on-bone” in her knee. Kate questioned the knee replacement and asked if she could wait. Her doctor’s response was to scale back on activity and stop running and hiking altogether. But just because Kate’s X-ray showed osteoarthritis in her knee, it doesn’t mean it’s the cause of her knee pain. Research tells us this. It’s entirely possible that Kate’s knee pain is due to something other than her “bone on bone” arthritis.

Did she really need surgery? And did she really need to stop running and hiking?  If she underwent a knee replacement without being sure if arthritis is truly the main cause of her knee pain, she not only risks unnecessary surgery, but would also be set back several months for recovery.

First, inactivity is one of the worst things you can do for arthritis.

People who stay active with weight-bearing activities are shown to have less arthritis than those who avoid doing things that compress their joints. Second, during Kate’s movement exam, we were able to quickly turn her knee pain “off” and then “on” again. That means her knee pain could not be solely due to the arthritis in her knee – because you can’t reverse “bone on bone” arthritis with movement and certainly not that quickly.

You can, however, successfully address a mechanical joint problem with movement – which is exactly what was happening. Mechanical problems in your spine or joints won’t show up on X-ray. So you don’t want to rely on images alone to make decisions about your pain – and certainly don’t rely on images alone to decide if you should have surgery or not. 

If you’re getting older, know that age related changes like arthritis are normal and nothing to be afraid of. Pain is also normal. It’s an important signal that alerts us to take action. It doesn’t always equal damage. Be sure to educate yourself about these topics and ask more questions if you’re told to stop an activity “just because”, or that surgery is your only option because of an image.

Do you avoid exercise because of back, knee, hip, shoulder, or ankle pain?

 Let us help you get back to it! Request a FREE Discovery Call with my team. It’s a no obligation call to figure out 1) if we can help you and 2) are you a good fit for what we do.

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapist and Pilates expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth and writes for Seacoast Media Group. To request a free copy of her Knee Pain Free Report CLICK HERE  or to get in touch email her at [email protected] .

golf injuries

Common Golf Injuries and How to Avoid Them

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Most golfers I know won’t let anything stop them from being out on the course – especially here in New England where the golf season is not very long.

But let’s face it, when something hurts, playing 9-holes is just not as fun.

Jack Nicklaus had it right when he said, “Professional golfers condition to play golf; amateur golfers play golf to condition.” That explains why 62 percent of amateurs will sustain a significant golf injury, typically because they’re out of shape, have poor swing mechanics, or don’t adequately warm up.

Here are three common golf injuries and things you can do to avoid them.

Elbow Tendonitis

Tendonitis is characterized as the painful inflammation of a tendon. It’s caused by repetitive movements that overload the tendon, eventually causing it to feel strained and overworked. When it occurs on the inside of your elbow, which is something that happens a lot with golfers, it’s called “golfer’s elbow.” The treatment is ice and rest initially (which means you don’t get to play golf for a while) followed by progressive and proper loading of the tendon to get it back to a healthy state. This whole process, if done properly, takes time… and it can certainly ruin your golf season if it’s not caught early.

What causes elbow tendonitis? We know that technically, it’s inflammation of tendons in your elbow. But what leads to that in the first place? Often weakness in your mid-back and shoulders along with mobility restrictions in your wrists. Your elbow is significantly influenced by what happens above and below it. If your mid-back and shoulder area are weak, the rest of your arm won’t feel supported and your elbow can get overworked. If your wrist is tight and immobile, your elbow will be forced to move more than it should, especially through a golf swing. This will cause extra stress on your tendons and eventually result in tendonitis. The best way to prevent this from happening is to make sure you’ve got adequate mobility in your wrists, and good strength in your mid back and shoulders.

Back Pain

One of the most common ways to hurt your back is with repetitive flexion (bending) and rotation (twisting). Well, what does a round of golf consist of over and over? Repetitive bending and twisting! Every time you swing that golf club, you’re putting your spine through one of its most stressful positions. And if it’s not prepared — it’s going to get injured.

One of the best ways to prepare your spine for a long and healthy golf season is to avoid a lot of sitting and keep it mobile. Sitting for prolonged periods makes your back more susceptible to injury in general, but especially if you’re going to be doing a lot of bending and twisting. Interrupting your sitting frequently during the day is a very easy way to minimize its harmful effects. 

If you lack adequate mobility in your spine, it will feel strained every time you try and swing your club. When you overstress a joint that is stiff, the muscles around it tend to tighten up and spasm in response. It’s important that you take time to optimize and maintain your best spinal mobility for golf season. This will significantly help to decrease the stress that occurs in your spine when you swing in one direction repetitively, and ultimately help you prevent a back injury.

Knee pain

Between walking 18 holes, and the repetitive twisting that happens at your knee when you swing a golf club, there’s the potential for lots of stress (and injury) through your knee joints. If you lack adequate mobility or stability in and around your knees, you’re going to have problems. Much like the elbow, the most common source of knee pain I see in my golfers comes from the joints above and below, and not from the knee itself. To keep your knees mobile and healthy and prevent them from getting overstressed during golf season, it’s important that you take measures to optimize the strength in your core and hips, as well as stability in your feel and ankles. 

The power in your golf swing should come from your hips and core, not from your knees (or back). If they aren’t very strong, your knees will want to try and help, and they are not designed for this. Your knees need to be loose and free during a golf swing. If not, the muscles and ligaments around your knee joint will take on unwanted stress. 

Another cause of unwanted stress to your knee joint is lack of support from your feet and ankles.

Your knees need a stable foundation if they want to bend and twist without stress. If stability below is lacking, your knees will tighten up in an effort to compensate. Moral of the story: make sure you’ve got mobile knees, a strong core and hips, plus stable feet and ankles, so that knee pain doesn’t derail your golf season.

Hopefully these tips help you understand why golf injuries happen and most importantly, how to prevent them. If you’re feeling stuck and looking for individualized expert help – request a FREE Discovery Session. We look forward to speaking with you!

Dr. Carrie Jose, Physical Therapist and Pilates expert, owns CJ Physical Therapy & Pilates in Portsmouth, NH.  To get a free copy of her guide to taking care of back pain – click here.