Are you one of the many golfers in Minnesota itching to hit the course?
Do you notice being sore after just one round?
What if you could play and not be in pain the next day or the next week?
Minnesota has one of the largest golf populations in the nation. Couple that with a shortened season and you have a huge number of rounds being played in a small amount of time, especially after this winter. Injuries are bound to occur. The most common injury to PGA, LPGA, and amateurs is low back pain. It has been estimated that up to 30% of golfers have or will suffer from low back pain.
The most common cause for injury in pro golfers is repetitive stresses placed on the low back, while amateur golfers get injured due to poor swing mechanics. Average healing time after the initial injury is 3-6 weeks. That is half of the summer season in Minnesota. Golfers would go crazy if they could only golf half as much.
The reason for injury is the rotational stress placed on the spine, specifically the lumbar spine, during poor mechanics. These stresses are unilateral, or one-sided since most golfers only swing their clubs in one direction creating an imbalance that can lead to low back pain. Another reason for injury is that the core, or trunk, stabilizer muscles are weak or are not contracting when they should to help prevent an injury.
The rotational forces become compounded when the spine is not moving the way it should. Improper spinal mechanics can lead to more serious problems that will keep you from playing golf much longer than the typical 3-6 weeks. Getting a chiropractic adjustment will improve spinal mechanics and relieve some of the rotational forces placed on the spine.
Once the spinal mechanics are restored, trunk stabilization and strengthening is the next step. This can be done in different ways; one of the best ways is to use a gymball because it makes you contract muscles to help you stabilize yourself while on the ball. These exercises help strengthen the lower abdominals and oblique muscles of the trunk which play a key role in the prevention of injury. Along with strengthening you need to be flexible as well.
Staying flexible by stretching regularly will help you keep playing for a long time. Increasing the temperature of the muscles, or warming them up, before stretching is critical because muscles need to be warm for stretching to be effective. Stretching the legs and lower back before and after your round will keep your muscles from tightening up and getting sore the next day. It also helps maintain the functional range of motion that the spine needs to withstand the rotational stresses during golf.
Lastly, a balanced foundation when playing golf is very important, if not the most important. If you are not balanced when you address the ball, you will not be balanced when you swing the club. Orthotics have been proven to improve proprioception – knowing where your body parts are when you are not thinking about them – which is good when you have your eye on the ball. They also reduce fatigue that comes with walking the course by absorbing the shock when your heel hits the ground, otherwise known as heel strike. Finally, with the improved balance, it allows you to increase your club head velocity by making it easier to swing the club.
After doing all of this you still may have poor swing mechanics. It is true with any sport, practice makes perfect, but if you do not know how to swing the club right you will never improve your overall performance. Seeing a golf professional at your local golf course is a great way to get that last little bit of help so that you can play better and decrease your chance of injury as well.
Here at Opp Family Chiropractic we also offer different ways that you can reduce inflammation and shorten recovery time through nutrition, regular chiropractic care and education with one of our Exercise Specialists. We offer a full movement evaluation through our Kinetisense program and Reflexive Performance Reset (RPR) testing. These are all great ways that you can improve your game and help prevent injury. You don’t want to be sitting at home while your buddies are enjoying the golf course! Call to schedule your appointment today and we can help you stay on the course as much as you want this summer. Good luck on the links.
Watch to learn RPR from one of our Exercise Specialists here.
You can watch here to learn some warm-ups for golfers.