Golfing Injuries & How to Prevent Them
Lacey Golfing may seem like a fun, relaxing, and easy game to get into while Covid is going on — and really it is. But you have to be careful while playing since it is quite easy to injure yourself. Even using the wrong golfing pose can lead you to some serious pain.
What Kinds of Injuries Can You Get From Golf?
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis is caused by an inflammation in the tendons of your shoulders, and can lead to extreme pain and decreased function. This is commonly caused by overuse and a good sign you have is if overhead movements or repetitive movements cause pain in your shoulders. The best way to prevent this is to not overwork your shoulders and use the proper golfing pose to put as little stress on your shoulders as possible. The best treatment for this is to just rest your shoulder and ice it.
Knee Pain
Knee Pain in golfing is usually a torn meniscus, a piece of cartilage in your knee, being aggravated. This is usually caused by bad golfing posture, but can also be exacerbated by arthritis. The best way to prevent this is to exercise the muscle groups in your thighs so it takes more stress off your knees when you’re walking and golfing. Having proper swinging posture also helps greatly, but it would still be wise to strengthen your thigh muscles. The only real treatment for this is again, strengthening your thigh muscles to take the stress off your knees, but if you’re still having pain there could be another underlying problem.
Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s Elbow is inflammation of the tendons and muscles on the inside of the elbow. It’s caused by overuse and repetitive motions. A good sign that its golfer’s elbow is if you have pain on the inside of your elbow and if it hurts to make motions like shaking a hand or turning a doorknob. The best way to avoid this is to not overexert yourself and to make sure your swing is proper since improper swings can put more stress on your elbows tendons. The best way to treat it is to rest and ice it, maybe also put a wrist brace or forearm band on it to reduce pain.
How can I Prevent any Golfing Injuries?
There is a multitude of golfing injuries that were not covered, so getting to know some common precautions against golfing injuries is a very good idea. Here are some of our suggestions:
Posture is Everything
Some common cautions are to make sure your posture and swing are correct, your posture should be feet shoulder-width apart, slightly rotated outwards and your knees slightly bent. Keep your spine relatively straight and lean slightly forward. You’ll want your hips doing most of the work, so make sure the power of your swing is coming from there.
Stay Smooth
You’ll want to also stay smooth throughout the whole swing, having the force of the swing move smoothly throughout all the muscles of your body. If you lean on one muscle too heavily it could cause an injury.
Overswings are Stress
Take your swing nice and easy, try not to swing too hard or too fast. The best swing to have is a constituent swing, not a fast one.