While most of America is staying home with not much to do, one thing that is available to us in the Idaho Falls area is golf. Playing golf offers some great health benefits — especially if you walk instead of using a golf cart. But it also comes with some risks. If you play golf long enough, you are probably going to experience some sort of injury. And chances are it will be in your back. This is where chiropractic care comes into play. Here’s how.
Golf Is Hard On Your Body
Some people may say that golf isn’t a real sport, but playing a round can be pretty taxing on your body. There are a few reasons for this. It can mean a lot of walking. A typical round of 18 holes can mean walking about 5-6 miles. Included in that is a lot of bending over and of course the repetition of the golf swing. When you consider any warmup and practice swings, you are looking at making that motion hundreds of times for one round of golf. This is why your golf swing takes the biggest toll on your body. A flaw in your swing can lead to more than just back problems. Repeating the motion of your golf swing may lead to the compression of cartilage discs in your spine and knees. In addition, arthritis and tendonitis are among the related conditions that can keep from playing good golf or even playing at all. Your elbows, knees, and more are at risk. Here are some of the potential swing issues that can put your body in bad shape.
- Horizontal rotation between the hips and shoulders. Amateur golfers have a tendency to over-rotate which leaves them vulnerable to back injuries.
- The tilt of the shoulders right after impact. Amateurs can be slow to tilt their shoulders.
- Club head height. Amateurs frequently drop their club head too low at the top of the swing. This puts extra strain on the wrist.
The most common issue that plagues the golfer is lower back pain. Elbow problems are the second most common.
Golf And Chiropractic
Chiropractic care is one of the best ways to keep your back feeling good. And you can do it without having to deal with any side effects of pain medication or surgery. One way that chiropractic care helps is by enabling your body to perform at its best. The difference between a good golf shot and one that leaves you searching for your ball can be a fraction of an inch. It takes a lot of body parts to make a golf swing work. If any of them is out of position — even slightly — or causing you pain, there is going to be a negative impact on your swing. It can also cause other body parts to overcompensate — leading to other problems.
One of the biggest issues golfers deal with is the misalignment of their spine. When you play golf with this type of issue, you are bound to make it worse. By getting a chiropractic adjustment, you can get your musculoskeletal systems restored to the proper alignment. This will minimize your risk for injury and reduce the stress placed on your body.
Tiger Woods — you may have heard of him — has been quoted as saying “I’ve been going to a chiropractor for as long as I can remember, it is as important as the practice of my swing.” In addition to Tiger Woods, about 75 percent of touring pros use chiropractic care to keep themselves in top golfing condition.
How We Can Help
In addition to the benefits that chiropractic care can bring to golfers, massage therapy can help too. Here is a brief look at how.
- Better circulation.
- Reduce muscle spasms.
- Injury prevention.
- Greater quality of movement.
- Greater range of motion and flexibility.
- Reduced stress.
- Greater mental focus.
The specific types of massage that golfers should consider to treat injuries and maintain your form and flexibility include the following.
- Relaxation and therapeutic massage
- Deep tissue massage
- Trigger point therapy
- Myofascial release therapy
Massage can be a vital part of your training regimen for any sport — especially golf. There’s no better way to find and work on problem areas of pain and stiffness.
We also have a great physical therapy team that can help get your body feeling great before you set foot on the golf course. Your core (the foundation for your spine and pelvis) is essential to keeping your body stable during the golf swing. If that sounds like something that would be helpful to your golf game, schedule a free consultation and tour with one of our licensed therapists.
No matter if you are a highly competitive player, someone who plays frequently, or a weekend golfer — give us a call today and let’s make sure that your body is in the best condition for your game. It will be very beneficial to get your spine and posture into the proper alignment. This will help you make better swings and shoot lower scores. This will make the game more fun and help you feel better too!
