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| The last column discussed what sports injuries are and how to assess their severity. This column will tell you what to do when you have an acute sports injury. The three main goals... read more |
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| Acute Sports Injuries are traumatic in nature. Some are very dramatic such as when Mike Foligno broke his leg at centre ice the season before last. Although his was a bone injury m... read more |
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Peter J.
Charbonneau |
B.P.E., A.T., C Ped , Certified Pedor - At our Toronto and Brampton facilities, clinical assessment and orthotic design is provided by Peter J. Charbonneau, B.P.E., A.T., C Ped&cop... read more |
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Golf Injuries | Tuesday, April 11, 2006 |
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 As the snow melts the grass starts to turn green and many of us turn our eyes to the greenest of all grass which exists on the golf course. Golf has shown a large increase in participation in the last several years. Therefore in this article I will discuss golf injuries and some tips on prevention. Although golf does not seem that strenuous there are many overuse injuries that I see that will affect an individuals game and enjoyment of the game.
Very few injuries are from direct contact but golf does have its risks. Deaths on the course although rare can occur from lightening, heart attacks , or being hit by an errant ball or club. A golfer was killed in Ontario last year when a broken club acted like a spear.
Most of the injuries we see in golf are due to overuse. They can occur to a previously injured body part or the injury can be directly related to the golf game itself. Golf, more than any other game is a game of virtually the same body movement repeated over and over again. This can lead to microtrauma to the most used parts of the body and hence injury. Very keen golfers have been known to practice their swing over 400 times per day.
The basic premise of the golf swing is to transfer as much energy from your body to the club and knock the ball as far and as accurately as possible. The body coils and then recoils around the axis of the spine. It then follows through as the momentum carries the body forward. Research has shown that the greatest number of injuries occur on contact with the ball while the deceleration follow through phase is the second most common part of the swing to cause injury.
The most common problem I see in golf is back injuries. Golf is particularly hard on the back. On the long drives the back is extended then quickly brought through a flexion rotation movement only to be brought back to extension on the opposite side. Biomechanical studies have shown that trunk rotation and flexibility were critical to generate force to transfer momentum to the ball. In less skilled players or older players, lack of trunk flexibility decreases the arc through which energy can be transferred to the ball. When we putt, we stand over the ball in an exaggerated forward flexed position, which is supported by the lower back.
The second most common problem I see in golfers involve the shoulder. This is usually a form of rotator cuff tendinitis which causes the pain. Ironically, I have seen many golfers improve their game with this injury. One of the main treatments for this injury is to decrease the back swing and follow through while slowing the swing down. The golfer may lose some yardage, but more than makes up for it in accuracy. Remember, as my golf pro has told me ""Golf is a target game, not a distance game"".
The other common upper extremity injury I see is the so called golfers elbow. Pain develops on the inside of the elbow on the back arm ie. the right arm on a right handed golfer. I also see a variety of wrist and thumb injuries which will affect the golf game.
I see very few lower extremity injuries that are directly related to golf. Commonly an individual with an old knee or ankle injury will develop arthritis in their joint which will make it very difficult to walk the course.
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