Newsletter
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Preventing Golf Injury
Before hitting the links, golfers can take some preventive measures to protect themselves against injury.
More and more people are hitting the links than ever before as more golf courses spring up all across the country. In fact, golf is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports in the world. Playing golf is an excellent exercise that includes a significant amount of walking, often up and down hills. The golf swing itself uses muscles from the legs, stomach, trunk, shoulders and arms. To excel and stay healthy in this sport, a golfer must have very strong and flexible muscles
Many people consider golf a low-level physical activity without the possibility of injury ever happening to them. But, there is a potential risk of suffering serious injuries to the elbow, spine, knee, hip or wrist. Before hitting the links, golfers can take some preventive measures to protect themselves against injury.
Golfer’s elbow
Leading the list of injuries is golfer’s elbow, and one of the best ways to avoid elbow problems is to strengthen the forearm muscles and slow the swing so that there will be less shock in the arm when the ball is hit by the golfer. These simple exercises are designed to help build up your forearm muscles and prevent golfers’ elbow.
· Squeeze a tennis ball. Squeezing a tennis ball for five minutes at a time is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles.
· Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. To reverse, place your hands in front of you palm side down. Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising above your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm.
Low back pain
Another common complaint among golfers, low back pain, can be caused by a poor swing. The rotational stresses of the golf swing can place considerable pressure on the spine and muscles. Also poor flexibility and muscle strength can cause minor strains in the back that can easily become severe injuries. Here are some simple exercises to help strengthen lower back muscles and prevent injuries.
· Rowing. Firmly tie the ends of rubber tubing. Place it around an object that is shoulder height (like a door hinge). Standing with your arms straight out in front of you, grasp the tubing and slowly pull it toward your chest and release slowly
· Pull-downs. With the rubber tubing still around the door hinge, kneel and hold the tubing over your head. Pull down slowly toward your chest, bending your elbows as you lower your arms. Raise the tubing slowly over your head.
Shoulder Impingement
This condition is an inflammation of the shoulder's rotator cuff tendons. This inflammation is caused from the "pinching" of the tendons between the bones of the shoulder. For golfers, this most often occurs in the front region of the arm and is felt at the finish of the swing. Strong rotator cuff muscles are the best way to prevent this from happening. Along with rowing as mentioned above, here is an additional exercise to help strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.
· Internal and External Rotation. Using tubing in the door, bend elbow and rotate arm outward away from the body keeping the elbow in at the side and the forearm parallel to the floor. Reverse by rotating arm away from body.
But perhaps, one of the best ways for golfers to stretch their muscles and avoid injury could be considered old-fashioned—before your round of golf, engage in some simple stretching exercises, and then get a bucket of balls and hit a few golf balls on the driving range. It not only will help your game, but also will make you healthier in the long run. If you have not been warming up before pulling out your driver, and haven’t been injured, you have been lucky.
© Copyright 1999 - 2005 Watertown Area Health Services
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Shoulder Injuries in Overhead Sports
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Preventing Golf Injury
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Shin Splints
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6th Annual
sports medicine symposium
and golf outing
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
Mark your calendars for our 6th Annual Sports Medicine Symposium and Golf Outing. Once again, the event will be held at Windwood Country Club in Watertown. This FREE symposium will include information to help coaches succeed at all levels of competition. Once the symposium is over, join us for a FREE lunch, and a FREE 9 holes of golf.
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Speed and Agility Camp
Starting June 12th through July 28th
6 weeks excluding the week of July 3rd through July 7th
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Cost: $110
WAHS Sports Medicine believes that speed, agility, and conditioning are essential to athletic success. In order to help you achieve your full potential, our highly trained performance enhancement staff at WAHS Sports Medicine has developed a 6 week speed and agility camp.
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Functional Strength and Power Camp
Starting June 13th and ending July 27th
Excludes week of July 3rd through July 7th
Tuesdays and Thursdays
9:00 AM– 10:30 AM
Cost: $85
WAHS Sports Medicine has developed challenging, functional, and effective alternative to weightlifting. Unlike traditional weightlifting, the camp integrates traditionally proven exercises as well as advanced exercises to work all muscle groups in unison, thereby increasing overall strength, power and coordination, while decreasing the risk of injury.
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Related Links
Careers:
www.nata.org National Athletic Trainers Association
www.apta.org American Physical Therapist Association
Health and Injury Information:
www.acsm.org American College of Sports Medicine
www.ncaa.org National Collegiate Athletic Association
www.wiaawi.org/health/nutrition Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic
Association
www.gssiweb.com Gatoraide Sports Science Institiute
www.iasm.com Institute for Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
www.physsportsmed.com The Physician & Sports Medicine
www.ORTHOsupersite.com The Orthopaedics Supersite
www.sportsdentistry.com Academy for Sports Dentistry
www.aapsm.org American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine
www.biausa.org Brain Injury Association of America
www.subtlebraininjury.com Subtle Brain Injury Website
www.sportsmedresources.com Sports Medicine Resources Website
www.asmi.org American Sports Medicine Institute
www.ortho-u.net Wheeless' Textbook of Orthopaedics
www.lightningsafety.com National Lightning Safety Institute
www.webmd.com WebMD
www.nocsae.org National Operating Committee on Standards for
Athletic Equipment
Strength and Conditioning:
www.athleticsearch.com Athletic Search on Web
www.nsca-lift.org National Strength and Conditioning Association
www.nasm.org National Academy of Sports Medicine
www.coaching.usolympicteam.com Olympic E-Coach Magazine
www.ncsf.org National Council of Strength & Fitness
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