Golfing is a celebrated pastime with over 34.2 million people in the US playing golf in 2019 alone. In Fort Lauderdale FL where Coast to Coast Chiropractic is located, we have more than 35 world-class golf courses. More and more people are taking up the sport, with its popularity soaring. More people are starting to play golf now than when Tiger Woods was very popular!
It is now one of the most popular sports in the US. While golf is a generally low-impact sport and is often safe for people of all ages and health levels, it’s still a sport that carries the risk of injury, just like any sport.
There are many ailments that are caused by golfing, and there are many ways to treat these ailments, with one of the best is the use of chiropractic care. But what are these common injuries, and what are the benefits of using chiropractic care? Our Fort Lauderdale chiropractor provides answers that may surprise you!
Common Golfing Ailments
Even though golf is a relatively safe and low-impact sport, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be any strain on your body or any risk of injury. In fact, studies have found that one golf swing places a lot of compression on the spine, as much as eight time’s the golfer’s weight of force is placed on the body per swing, which is like having eight people on your back as you swing!
There are plenty of different ailments that you may get from golf, such as:
Golfer’s Elbow
This condition is exceptionally common for golfers to get, so common that it’s named after golfers themselves! Golfer’s elbow is a condition that causes pain near your elbow. The condition often causes pain where the tendons in your forearm attach to the bump on the inside of your elbow. If untreated, the pain can spread into the forearm and your wrist. This condition is like tennis elbow, which develops on the outside of the elbow.
This condition often gets worse as it goes untreated, and may prevent you from enjoying daily activities, and living daily life. When you have this condition, you may experience pain, tenderness, stiffness, weakness, numbness, tingling, and more. The pain can begin suddenly or gradually and may worsen with certain movements. To help prevent further treatment, it’s always a great idea to get help as soon as possible. Your chiropractor will be able to help formulate a treatment plan that helps correct your issues without the use of invasive treatments.
Knee Injuries
Knee injuries are also rather prominent in the world of golf. This is often because your stance is so very important as a golfer, with a lot of force being placed on your legs and knees as you swing.
All it takes is a single, yet powerful, swing to cause the most common knee issue that golfers face-the meniscus tear. This tear is when one of the menisci is damaged as the knee is twisted. The menisci are discs of soft cartilage that act as sort of shock absorbers between the thigh bone and your shin. This condition results in pain, clicking, swelling, stiffness, and sometimes locking.
Golfers may also experience a golfer’s knee, which is a lot like a runner’s knee and can be caused by inflammation and force being placed on the tendons and knee components. Over time, you may find that the condition worsens, and may even get so bad that walking becomes hard to do.
Your chiropractor can treat a menagerie of knee disorders caused by golfing. This is especially true since a lot of these disorders are caused by wear from force and misalignment, both of which your chiropractor should be skilled in. Your chiropractor will be able to evaluate and treat your injury, preventing it from getting any worse.
Wrist Issues
Wrist issues are another common problem for golfers, as a lot of force and movement is put on the wrist while golfing. The most common wrist issue is wrist tendinitis, which is categorized by swelling and pain in the wrist, a lot like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Golfers may experience this complication from the way they swing, and from frequent golfing, or even carrying their golf luggage. Treating this complication is possible though, but it’s best that treatment happens early, otherwise surgery may be required. Your chiropractor can help treat this condition, among other wrist conditions. They can do so without any use of painful or invasive procedures.
Shoulder Pain and Injury
Another common issue that many golfers may face is with their shoulders. Many golfers begin to experience some sort of shoulder pain, especially when golfing consistently. You may also find that your shoulders ache, become tender to touch, and if left untreated, can even affect your mobility.
Perhaps one of the more serious yet common shoulder issues associated with golfing would be a rotator cuff injury. The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that surrounds the shoulder joint while keeping the head of the upper arm bone in the shallow socket of your shoulder. When you injure this zone, whether by tearing or something else, you may experience a variety of issues and pain. Many people report that the pain caused is a dull ache and that the pain worsens at night. Those with a rotator cuff injury may also experience limited ability to move their arm, muscle weakness, crackling or other sounds when moving their arm, pain that is recurring, trouble sleeping on the affected side, and more.
Just like any other issue, it’s important to get this injury, and any others treated as soon as possible. The shoulder is a complex area that many people rely on for daily movement. Without your shoulder, a lot of your body becomes compromised. The sooner you treat your ailment, the better your prognosis is. Your chiropractor should be able to work with your doctor to help formulate a plan that successfully helps treat your golfing ailments and issues, including shoulder injuries.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Golfers
Chiropractic care is useful for a variety of reasons, and golfing ailments are certainly one of them. Chiropractors can identify exactly what you need and will then set up a treatment plan to help achieve just that. Chiropractors may help you treat current injuries and ailments but can also help prevent ailments from occurring.
Treating current ailments often requires a combination of physical therapy, evaluation, and cooperation with your PCP. You may also choose to take part in more advanced chiropractic treatments like electrostimulation to treat muscle issues. Your chiropractor will utilize a combination of treatment options, like spinal manipulation, cupping, needle treatment, physical therapy, and more. The sooner you see your chiropractor for current ailments, the better the outcome.
Your chiropractor is also able to help prevent injuries before they occur. Golfing places a lot of pressure on your spine, your shoulders, your arms, and even your legs. Your chiropractor can maintain these areas of your body to help them absorb this shock better.
Frequent visits to a chiropractor are largely beneficial for keeping your body moving and operating at its best. Allowing your body to take the force and wear that golfing creates sometimes starts with a trip to your chiropractor.
Chiropractic care is also very useful for improving your game as a golfer. Range of motion is often affected by issues that could be helped with chiropractic care. Your chiropractor will be able to adjust your posture, help your body handle the force, and overall help your golf game.
When your spine is properly aligned, it’s able to handle more force and allows your stance to improve, which can improve your swing. Chiropractors know what you need to succeed, as many are golfers themselves!
Benefits of Frequent Care
When you visit your chiropractor frequently, you’ll get a lot of benefits, especially as a golfer.
Frequent chiropractic treatments have many benefits:
- Improvement of blood flow, helping your body circulate blood, improving your muscles, and making them less prone to injury
- Pain-medication-free treatment, allowing you to get the care you need without the risk of nasty side effects or addiction
- Proper spinal alignment, allowing for the best posture, stance, and swing!
- Force absorption increases, and you’re better able to handle the large amounts of pressure that golfing puts on your body
- An overall better game, the many chiropractic benefits lead to a great game. The better you feel, the fewer injuries you have, and the better you’ll play
- Non-invasive yet effective treatment, chiropractic care is non-invasive, but is highly effective!
- And more!
Frequent trips to a chiropractor could unlock the door to a happy, healthy life, and a great golf game.
Visiting your chiropractor regularly is great for improving the health of your body, and the score of your game. Chiropractors can evaluate a wide range of ailments that golfing causes and are able to effectively treat them as well. Those who visit a chiropractor regularly find that their game improves, and so does their health. Chiropractic care is a great way to get non-invasive, medication-free treatment for all your golfing needs. Frequent trips to your chiropractor also can improve your game of golf, as well as your quality of life. Don’t miss your chance at a hole-in-one, see a chiropractor today.
