Clinic-NL-Golf1 - May 2015Many people think that Golf is a relatively benign activity, but the incidence of injuries to golfers is relatively high. Because golf can be played over an entire life time, most golfers, at some stage, will be injured.

Physios look at the three body segments individually.

  • Lower Body – What is the lower body doing, is it strong enough, is it balanced?
  • The core – We see if that’s working and what kind of stability and rotation is being maintained.
  • The neck and the arms – Usually they are the last point of reference in a golf swing, because often these parts are forced to compensate for what the rest of the body is not doing properly.

Back pain is the most common complaint among golfers, in particular in older golfers.  However, back pain isn’t the only pain golfers tend to suffer.  Neck, shoulder, elbow and hip pain are all common complaints among golfers of all ages. Treatment may include:

  • Soft tissue manipulation
  • Specific joint mobilisation and manipulation.
  • Electronic muscle stimulation
  • Massage
  • Exercise to work on strengthening:
    • o Upper limbs
    • o Core Muscle stability
    • o Thoracic and Lumbar spine
    • o Hip Joints
    • o Lower back
    • o Gluteal and pelvic floor
  • Rehabilitation exercises that are individualised to the golfer’s body type, swing mechanics and likes and dislikes.

Golfers rarely consider the damage that the sport’s repetitive, torqueing movements inflict on their backs, necks
and shoulders.  Neither are most recreational golfers proactive about preventing injury to these areas and improving performance.  While many golfers now see a Physio after injury, some are discovering that seeing a
Physio before injury is the key to playing round after round without pain.

Who Will it Benefit?

  • Golfers of all ages and levels who want to improve their game
  • Golfers with injuries that affect their game
  • Golfers with old injuries who need rehabilitation
  • Golfers who are interested in injury prevention and improving fitness levels

A Physiotherapist can give you proactive treatment, strategies and advice that can serve as the foundation for realizing your full potential on the golf course while offering the opportunity of playing your best golf safely and injury-free for an entire lifetime.