Shoulder Pain and Back Pain for Golfers
Joint Pain in Golfers
Golfers often experience elbow pain, shoulder pain and back pain that experts believe could have been prevented by a proper warm-up and stretching.
Golf is often seen as a relatively safe, low-injury but repeated twisting movments can cause problems over time - as we have seen recently in several top professional golfers.
Even Tiger Woods has endured knee surgery and back spasms - and Seve Ballesteros had to give up golf because of back problems.
Just over 100,000 people seek medical treatment for golf-related injuries in any given year - according to recent statistics.
There are three common golf injuries:
Golfer's elbow - pain and tenderness felt on the inside of the elbow - usually requires anti-inflammatory drugs and a break from the sport.
Lower- and middle-back problems are often caused by muscle strain or overuse and typically treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, moist heat or physical therapy.
Golfer's shoulder - usually a rotator cuff injury - is a strain or tear in the group of muscles that surround the shoulder joint. Common in older golfers, it's often caused by overuse combined with a lack of flexibility, declining muscular strength and poor swing mechanics. Sometimes it requires surgery to repair.
Experts advise that seeing a golf pro for lessons on your technique and getting in the habit of always warming up before playing can go a long way toward preventing golf related injury.
Golfers often experience elbow pain, shoulder pain and back pain that experts believe could have been prevented by a proper warm-up and stretching.
Golf is often seen as a relatively safe, low-injury but repeated twisting movments can cause problems over time - as we have seen recently in several top professional golfers.
Even Tiger Woods has endured knee surgery and back spasms - and Seve Ballesteros had to give up golf because of back problems.
Just over 100,000 people seek medical treatment for golf-related injuries in any given year - according to recent statistics.
There are three common golf injuries:
Golfer's elbow - pain and tenderness felt on the inside of the elbow - usually requires anti-inflammatory drugs and a break from the sport.
Lower- and middle-back problems are often caused by muscle strain or overuse and typically treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, moist heat or physical therapy.
Golfer's shoulder - usually a rotator cuff injury - is a strain or tear in the group of muscles that surround the shoulder joint. Common in older golfers, it's often caused by overuse combined with a lack of flexibility, declining muscular strength and poor swing mechanics. Sometimes it requires surgery to repair.
Experts advise that seeing a golf pro for lessons on your technique and getting in the habit of always warming up before playing can go a long way toward preventing golf related injury.
