Golf Injuries: How To Get Your Golf Swing Back with Physical Therapy
As we emerge from quarantine, golf courses across the country are opening back up and allowing for socially-distanced golfing with friends. Whether you want to prepare for your best summer golfing yet or address underlying pain issues that exhibit when golfing, physical therapy can help you.
Common Golf Injuries
Golf can place a great deal of stress on the body due to the explosiveness of the golf swing. The golf swing engages muscles in the upper and lower body, placing particular stress on the back, knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and forearm.
Low Back Pain: Low back pain accounts for 34.5% of golf injuries. Back pain results from the rotation of the body’s frame during the golf swing, which creates stress on the lower back and can place pressure on the spine. Golf-related back pain develops over time due to the repetitive strain of the golf swing on the back.
Injured Rotator Cuff: The golf swing also places stress on the shoulder, often due to sustaining the force of the swing and overuse. Tears in the rotator cuff can also occur due to the repetitive motion of the backswing.
Golf and Tennis Elbow: Golf elbow is an inflammation of the inner elbow tendon that is caused by over-reliance on the forearm muscles. Tennis elbow can also occur in golfers, which is an inflammation of the outer tendon of the elbow due to premature release swings. Both injuries result from the repetitive strain and overuse of the forearm muscles to flex, rotate, grip, and swing.
Wrist Pain: Wrist pain can result due to the repetitive motion of golf as well as the high speed of the golf swing. Common wrist pain involves tenderness at the top of the wrist and often occurs at impact with the ball and at the top of the backswing.
Knee Pain: Knee pain results from improperly distributing weight to the knee during the swing. The rapid change of the body frame during the golf swing also puts stress on the knee.
Physical Therapy for Golfers
Golf injury physical therapy helps a golfer implement proper biomechanics and body movement to avoid injury, eliminate current pain, and improve the quality and consistency of the golf swing. A physical therapist will work with the golfer to address and decrease pain, increase joint mobility, improve hip and shoulder flexibility, enhance balance, and increase core and limb strength.
A physical therapist initially completes an evaluation, including a functional movement screen to assess movement patterns. The therapist then evaluates the golfer’s swing for any strength, mobility, or stability issues that may be negatively impacting the golf swing and contributing to injury. The physical therapist next creates a customized rehabilitation program including strengthening and stabilization exercises and manual therapy to help golfers heal from injury and prevent future injury.
Physical therapy rehabilitation for golfers include:
Strengthening the core for greater upper and lower body strength and balance control
Manual therapy to address and reduce pain
Dry needling to address tennis and golf elbow injuries
Proper body mechanic instruction to put less stress on the joints of the back, elbow, and shoulder
Weight-training of the forearm
Addressing muscle imbalances through targeted strengthening exercises
Shoulder and hip stabilization exercises to prevent injury during golf swing
Strengthening gluteal muscles to stabilize the pelvis and improve body rotation safely
