Playing golf requires a lot of time and effort, both mental and physical strengths, and perseverance to achieve excellent results. Golf is a trendy sport that many people choose to improve their health and relax. Although it is classified as a lower intensity sport than other sports, the rate of golfers experiencing injuries is quite high. Therefore, a comprehensive guide about 10 common golf injuries below that help golfers prevents and pre-aid in time.
The main causes include:
- Lack of flexibility;
- Poor body conditioning;
- Play or practice excessively;
- Poor swing mechanism;
- Ground impact force;
- Play intermittently.
Poor flexibility is a major risk factor for golf injuries. Some surveys claimed that about 80% of golfers spend no more than 10 minutes warming up before a round.
The golf swing is divided into 4 phases: backswing, downswing, acceleration/hit, and track. Any limitation in range of motion (ROM) interferes with a golfer's ability to achieve the proper swing plane, thereby increasing stress on the joints and muscles involved.
The second major reason for golf injuries is the repetitive nature of the sport. The golf swing involves repetitive high-speed motion of the neck, shoulders, spine, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles. Injury rate directly correlates with the number of rounds or balls practiced per week.
The most common sports injuries from golf include:
1. Back pain
An estimated that 75-85% of Americans will experience some form of back pain during their lifetime, and the number is likely to be higher among golfers.
The frequency of rotation can put significant pressure on the spine and muscles. Combined with the fact that golfers spend 4-5 hours in a crouching position, repeating the same motion hundreds of times, it's no wonder that golf can cause minor stress on the back. and can easily lead to serious injury.
To keep your back healthy while playing golf, add some warm-up exercises that stretch and strengthen your back.
2. Achilles tendonitis in the elbow
Tendonitis is the most common condition affecting the elbow. It is often referred to as "tennis elbow" when there is an injury to the outer tendon and "golfer's elbow" when there is an injury to the inner tendon. Interestingly, most golfers suffer from "tennis elbow" more than "golfers elbow".
The risk of tendinitis increases with age and is higher in people who regularly perform activities that require repetitive motions that place stress on sensitive tendons. In addition, these types of injuries can be aggravated by improper rotation.
Treatment focuses on resting the injured tendon to allow healing, reduce inflammation, increase muscle strength, and improve the improper rotation. In most patients, tendinitis resolves on its own with treatment.
3. Knee hurts
Knee pain can occur because the stress placed on the knee is weak to stabilize the rotation of the hip axis as the rotation begins. Too much force on the knee can lead to ligament sprain.
People with arthritis may experience more knee problems because of the degenerative nature of the disease, which leads to gradual wear and tear of joint cartilage.
Treatment of knee pain completely depends on the cause of the problem. So if you are having symptoms, you must see a doctor. Stretching, rest, and cold compresses to reduce inflammation can all help ease symptoms.
4. Rotator cuff injury
Pain in the shoulder or upper arm may be felt during different stages of the golf swing, or after playing, often at night and when reach the arm overhead.
Golfers can get tendonitis and joint bursitis from the repetitive motion of the golf swing.
Rotator cuff injuries are usually treated with anti-inflammatory medications. In some cases, surgical repair becomes necessary.
5. Wrist injury
The repetitive movements of the golf swing and the high speed of the typical swing can put the wrist at high risk of injury. Usually occurs on the upper part of the wrist and when impacted at the top of the wrist.
Tendinitis or swelling of the tendons responsible for wrist movement is considered the most common golf-related wrist injury. A pre-season and year-round golf-specific conditioning program are the perfect choices to prevent injuries when playing golf.
6. Hand and finger injuries
As with wrist injuries, the repetitive movements in golf and the high speed of a typical swing can put the hand and fingers at high risk of injury.
Repetitive or single major trauma to the fingers can lead to many conditions such as tendonitis, bone fractures or deformities, and a condition known as nerve hammer syndrome.
Learning the proper ball grip, avoiding hitting the ball for long periods of time, and not hitting the ball off the artificial mat can prevent all of these injuries.
7. Neck Injury
Neck injuries are common in new golfers who are not used to twisting much. After a few hours of swinging and hitting the ball, the neck muscles can spasm and freeze the neck at the painful site.
Like most injuries, neck injuries can be prevented by warming up the muscles first, taking frequent breaks during play or practice, and slowly working up during practice and competition. longer. The main goal of an exercise program for your neck is to strengthen and stretch your shoulders and upper back.
