Golf is often considered to be a relatively safe sport in terms of injury rates. However this view is misleading as golf requires an extensive range of motion and places torsional forces on the whole body as the swing progresses.
By far the most injuries in golf are to the upper limb and back and these tend to be overuse injuries from repetitive actions (often with poor technique) as opposed to traumatic, sudden onset injuries.
Prevention
Strength
Strength is required in golf in order to hit the ball long distances. However, this is not the only kind of strength that is required. Every muscle in the body has a duty during a golf swing to stabilise the body part that it acts on and maintain the overall balance of the player as the swing progresses. Not only do many muscles have to work together to produce the powerful forward swing, but many others must work eccentrically to decelerate this movement on the follow through. Eccentric contraction is more strenuous for a muscle than concentric contraction and for that reason, to avoid injury, the player must be strong in both concentric and eccentric actions.
Strengthening programs should involve the use of either resistance bands or pulley systems to enable the performance of exercises with a rotation emphasis, such as wood chops.
Flexibility
In order to perform an excellent golf swing, the player must be flexible, through the shoulders, upper and lower back and hips particularly. Without this flexibility the body must compensate in other ways to perform the shot, often causing undue stress on other muscles and joints.
Warm-up
Most amateur golfers neglect the warm-up process and so put themselves at higher risk of injury. A warm-up should serve to increase body and muscle temperature, improve flexibility of the muscles and tendons, enhance blood flow and promote coordination and readiness, both physically and psychologically. A golfers warm-up should consist of some light cardiovascular exercise (such as jogging or fast walking) followed by a thorough stretching routine including first active stretching exercises such as shoulder circles, followed by static stretches of all upper limb, back and leg muscle groups. As with throwing warm-ups, the first shot should not be full force and range, start with easy shots focusing on technique, not distance.
Equipment
The main two pieces of equipment which can affect a players injury rate are the clubs and the shoes. There are now many types of club available, with differing materials altering weight and strike characteristics, as well as variation in length. The latest adaptation to really make a difference in terms of injury (or pain) prevention, is the long handled putter. This has been used more extensively over the last few years, especially by older players, for whom lumbar pain can be aggravated by the forward flexed position when using a shorter club.
Shoe fit and support are the two important factors to consider when buying golf shoes. A great deal of walking is involved in every round of golf and so the shoes must provide adequate arch support, especially in the case of those who overpronate. Spikes are the final consideration. Research has shown that shoes with metal spikes create more friction and torque between the turf and the player. This results in more torque in the knees and hips and so may not be suitable for individuals with previous injuries to these areas. Available alternatives include softer plastic spikes or other non-spiked trainer type shoes.
Technique
Technique has to be one of the major causes of many injuries in amateur golfers. The golf swing is such a complex movement with several different phases that it is near impossible to perform the 'perfect swing'. Most new players receive some form of tuition from the resident club professional although often not enough. Regular coaching sessions should be planned to fine-tune a players swing. In the long run this can save money on costly therapy bills for injuries caused by a poor technique!
Common Golf Injuries
Amongst professional golfers the left wrist is the most commonly injured body part, followed closely by the lower back. In amateur players the incidence of lower back injuries is higher than wrist injuries. Interestingly, the elbow is a common source of injury in amateur golfers which is not seen as regularly in professionals.
Rotator cuff injuries
The rotator cuff are a group of four muscles which attach to the scapula (shoulder blade) and help to stabilise the shoulder joint and produce rotation movements. Any of the rotator cuff muscles can be torn during a strong twisting motion, although the most common are the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Other problems include Tendinitis which is an overuse injury that develops gradually over a period of time. It presents as pain in the shoulder, especially when lifting the arm out to the side or rotating the shoulder. If left untreated this can cause the tendon to rupture. Learn more about rotator cuff injuries.
Impingement syndrome
Impingement of one of the rotator cuff muscles, often supraspinatus, occurs due to a narrowing of the space through which the tendon passes (the subacromial space). This can be for numerous reasons, such as the shape of the arch or poor posture. Impingement causes pain and inflammation of the tendon, especially on raising the arm to the side and rotation. Learn more about impingement syndrome.
Golfers / throwers elbow
The muscles of the forearm which act to flex the wrist and fingers attach to the medial epicondyle on the inside of the elbow. Repetitive wrist flexion can occur in amateur golfers due to poor technique, which would explain why the rate of elbow injuries is much lower for professional players. With repetitive use, the common tendon of these muscles can become inflamed and painful at the point where it attaches to the bone. In severe cases the tendon may develop small tears, although it rarely ruptures completely. Learn more about golfers or throwers elbow.
De Quervains tenosynovitis
This is an inflammatory condition of the sheath surrounding the tendon of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis. In golf, hyperabduction of the thumb is required during the swing, leaving the left thumb of a right handed player susceptible to this injury. Symptoms include tenderness and swelling of the base of the thumb. Find out more about de quervains tenosynovitis.
Hamate fracture
The hook of the hamate is a protrusion from the hamate bone, one of the 8 carpal bones within the wrist. This piece of bone is commonly fractured in amateur golf players when they mis-strike the ball and make contact with the turf. Learn more about fractures to the hook of hamate.
Lower back pain
Amateur golf players experience higher rates of lower back pain than professionals. This is thought to be due to their poor swing mechanics as well as reduced time available for proper conditioning. Some of the more common causes of back pain are disc herniation, muscle strains and facet joint pain. Find out more about lower back pain here.
Buy supports and braces at Wynsport.com
|
