Golf Season is Coming to Lancaster. Is Your Body Ready to Swing?

Golf generates significant torque on the spine and explosive force through the shoulders and hips. If your mechanics are rusty or your flexibility has decreased over the winter, that force has to go somewhere-usually into a joint or tendon. Dr. Troxell, one of our specialists who regularly treats rotation-based injuries, notes that "the biggest mistake amateur golfers make is skipping the warm-up. They pull the driver out of the car and head straight to the first tee. That is when we see rotator cuff strains and lumbar flare-ups."

3 Steps to Protect Your Game This Season

• The Rotator Cuff Check Shoulder pain, specifically during the backswing or follow-through, is often a sign of impingement or rotator cuff tendinitis. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder.
  • The Physician's Tip: Focus on shoulder mobility exercises before you play. If you feel a sharp catch or inability to lift the arm, get it evaluated before you try to play through it.
• Watch the "Golfer's Elbow" Pain on the inside of the elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) usually stems from gripping the club too tightly or hitting the ground - taking a "fat" divot-with poor mechanics.
  • Prevention: Loosen your grip pressure. If pain persists, simple bracing and physical therapy can usually resolve this without surgery.
• Engage the Hips to Save the Back Lower back pain is the most common complaint in golfers. This often happens when the hips are tight, forcing the lower back (lumbar spine) to do all the twisting.
• The Fix: Work on hip flexibility. If your hips turn freely, your lower back doesn't have to torque as hard.

Don't Let Pain Ruin the Season

If you are dealing with nagging joint pain or an old injury that is flaring up, we can help you modify your game or treat the issue so you can play pain-free. Schedule an Appointment with Our Sports Medicine Team