Apr 10, 2023

Golfing Injuries

Are you concerned about an old injury that seems to pop up every golf season? Have you wondered what to do to get ready for golf this year? At Austin Physical Therapy, our physical therapists are highly trained movement experts. We can help determine any limitations or restrictions affecting your swing or causing you pain.

Most golf injuries are overuse-type conditions due to poor swing mechanics and excessive repetitions in a day or over weeks of playing. We understand the mechanics of golf swing and the specific demands on individual joints, soft tissue, and your body as a whole.

It is also common for compensations due to poor core strength or restrictions in joint mobility to negatively affect how you swing and lead to pain or injury. Our physical therapists specialize in golf-related injuries and help golfers resolve old and new injuries and make sure they resolve limitations and weaknesses to improve their swing mechanics.

Request an appointment at Austin Physical Therapy today and let one of our physical therapists assess how your body moves and teach you how to resolve any issue standing in your way of getting out on the course again!

What are the most common golfers’ injuries ?

Golf is usually considered a leisurely activity, but golf requires considerable coordination. The force generated from a maximal swing can be as strong as the impact of a football player hitting a tackling dummy. The effect of repetitive swings, in some cases hundreds in a matter of days, and often with improper form, can also significantly impact the body.

The most common injuries in golf occur to the following areas of the body:

Lower back: The leading cause of lower back pain among golfers is improper swing technique. Novice golfers tend to swing too forcefully and/or with too much or too little motion leading to muscle strains and abnormal pressure on the spine’s discs.

This is particularly important for senior golfers who lose spinal mobility as they age.

Neck: A new golfer or the start of a new season players are not used to twisting their bodies as often as a round of golf requires. Although the head should stay relatively still while swinging, the movement of the rest of the spine causes neck rotation from the bottom up instead of our usual top-down sensation.

You can sometimes avoid neck pain or injuries by first warming up properly, taking frequent breaks, starting with fewer holes in the beginning, and slowly working up to more extended periods of practice and play.

Shoulder: Shoulder pain and injury can occur from a traumatic force like hitting a root or rock, taking a deep divot, or fatigue and overuse. Most shoulder injuries are related to faulty swings but can occur at any phase of the golf swing.

Golfers typically develop shoulder problems in their tendons (i.e., rotator cuff muscles) or their joints from degenerative and arthritic changes. Fortunately, most injuries respond to physical therapy intervention.

Elbow: Golfer’s elbow is often the result of repetitive gripping and/or swinging and may be related to grip on the club handle and is a common issue for golfers. Tendinopathy causes inflammation or micro-tearing in the tendons surrounding your elbow’s inner aspect. This condition can make holding and swinging a club impossible.

Hip: The hip is subjected to repeated stresses during the golf swing and is particularly vulnerable to injury. The hip joints require adequate mobility and strength in the hip, pelvis, and spine to withstand the significant forces generated by a golf swing.

Knee: Knee pain is one of the most common complaints of a golfer, with the most common type of knee injury being a meniscal tear. This injury may be caused by sudden, forceful, twisting motions while bearing weight through the knee.

At Austin Physical Therapy, our therapists thoroughly understand movement and specifically golf swing biomechanics. We use our expertise in the musculoskeletal system to identify and resolve golf injuries. Our specialists will help you recover and improve your overall movement and strength to get back on the course doing what you love!

What to anticipate in your physical therapy appointments

The physical therapists at Austin Physical Therapy will perform a comprehensive evaluation that includes a thorough history and movement assessment. Our team will analyze your golf swing mechanics to help us determine your specific joint range of motion and how your joints move with one another.

Furthermore, we will assess your strength, coordination, and balance to identify any weaknesses and/or limitations that may limit your ability to swing correctly. This information will help us design a program tailored to your individual needs.

Our golf programs consist of flexibility/mobility, strength, and power training to correct faulty movement patterns to help you reduce the likelihood of injury and improve your overall performance. Our team will also demonstrate proper warm-up routines to ensure you’re moving safely each time you head out on the course!

Request an appointment at Austin Physical Therapy today!

No matter what condition you are dealing with, our physical therapists at Austin Physical Therapy, will design a golf-specific plan to help you find relief and get you back to pain-free golf! Call today to schedule a whole-body assessment with one of our specialists!

Resolving Golfing Injuries Through Physical Therapy