As a golfer, you know that passion and hard work can drive you to play every game as if it’s your last. Consistent practice sessions and drills are a part of your daily golfing regimen. However, as you get into the golfing season, you might be conscious of the fatigue and injuries that can come with giving it your all every game.
Chances are that if you are a regular golfer, you will come across one or more of these common golf injuries at some point throughout your season. It’s in your best interests to be aware of these common problems so that you can avoid them or have them treated as quickly as possible so that you’re ready for every game that comes your way. With that said, here are the 5 most common golf injuries.
Knee Aches, Pains and Injuries
Your body is fully active during each swing you take. That includes every part of the body, including your knees. As you fix your hip’s rotation axis before you get into your swinging position, your posture and strain on the body can result in huge amounts of stress and strain on individuals with weakened knees.
Knee injuries come in different types and intensities, and it’s pretty understandable that these injuries get more difficult to handle and treat as you grow older.
To avoid any knee aches and injuries, stretching exercises are a must for your body. Focus on calmly stretching your calves, hamstrings, quads, and abdominal muscles before you start practicing those swings on the golf course. Wearing high quality golfing shoes with supportive arch designs can make all the difference in your stretches and practices as well.
You should also use an ankle and knee brace on hand in case you feel any fatigue or aches in your knees, they will offer support so you don’t do any long-lasting damage.
If you already have issues with knee injury and pain, you have to make sure to have your knees check by a doctor to see what’s causing the problem so that you can find the right way to treat the knees. By ignoring your knee injuries, you’ll only end up making matters worse for yourself.
You’ll only aggravate your injuries more without treatment which can make playing more golf games a bigger hassle for you. Therefore, if you start feeling any sort of knee weakness or aches during a golf game, make sure to go to your doctor as soon as possible to get the problem fixed.
Rotator Cuff Injury
You’ve probably seen this condition happen a lot on the golf course with your friends and competitors, and even with professional golfers during a tough match. Regular golfers can see their rotator cuffs injured during intense gameplay. The rotator cuff is a specific muscle cuff located in your shoulders that includes four strong supportive muscle tissues – Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, and Teres Minor muscles.
Rotator cuff injuries involve a condition where these four muscles become inflamed and cause squeezing tension between the arm and shoulder within the bone space. It can also commonly involves tear within the muscles or tendons. Anyone of these common types of rotator cuff injuries can affect your golf gameplay at any point since they can be annoying and even severe.
To avoid damage to your rotator cuff, you should carry out your practice sessions in proper body form as well as add in some good strength training workouts in your daily regimen. Stretching exercises for your shoulder, back, and core muscles are also a great way to prevent rotator cuff injuries.
If you think you have any arms or should pain that could be from rotator cuff tears and injuries, a common treatment involves the “RICE” method. RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation, four techniques that help alleviate rotator cuff pain and helps the healing process. You should also continue with your strengthening and stretching exercises but only to the extent that causes no pain to your arms or shoulder. In case the pain does not subside, get yourself checked by a doctor.
Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow
“Tennis elbow” is a layman’s term for tendinitis in the elbow which inflamed and affects the outer joint tensions, whereas “golf elbow” is a similar tendinitis condition that conversely irritates and inflamed the inner tendons of the elbow joint. Ironically, most golf players are afflicted with tennis elbows rather than golf elbow, but either condition can still be unbearably painful.
To avert both conditions, ensure that you are using proper swinging methods as you practice. Tendinitis occurs after overusing the tendons that are being actively used, so make sure to give your arms and elbows plenty of rest during each practice session.
Treating tennis elbow and golf elbow is usually simple, although you’ll have to hold back on those training and game sessions while you’re resting and recuperating. You have to focus on treating the inflammation, strengthening the muscles and tendons, and fixing your swings so that the problem can be avoided in the future.
Back Pains and Aches
Spending a lot of time hunched over a golf club and practicing your swings can put a lot of stress on your back, which can result in back pain. A lower backache is usually the common problem, but it can also be accompanied by stabbing pain between your shoulders.
To avoid back problems, use a stance and swing that doesn’t put a strain on your back during gameplay and focus on strength and flexibility exercises for your back to prevent the muscles in your back from undergoing any tears or stress.
If backaches become a problem for you, you should focus on treating regimens that you can use on your own time. Rest your back and use hot or cold compresses to ease the muscles and back pain. You can use painkillers if the pain intensity is too great. Focus on healing your back muscles with deep tissue massages that are performed by professional chiropractors, and if the pain does not subside, go for more active solutions like steroid shots or surgery.
You may also consider using an electric golf trolley rather than carrying a golf bag. The weight of your clubs and bag on your back for 18 holes can add considerable strain. Read our review Cheapest Electric Golf Trolley UK
Wrist Tendinitis
Wrist tendons can be weakened and inflamed just like elbow tendons. This results in problems with holding clubs and can become even more serious if not treated right away.
To avoid wrist tendinitis, use your time off to heal and improve your wrists and forearms with simple strength and stretching exercises so that you are well prepared for the upcoming golf season.
Conclusion: 5 Most Common Golf Injuries
There are many more injuries that playing golf can cause but these are the 5 most common golf injuries. Disclaimer: We are not Doctors or medical professionals, just golfers who have experienced lots of injuries and gain knowledge and experience over our combined years.
If you suffer from any of the symptoms above you should always seek medical advice as soon as possible.
Leaving an injury intreated could lead to long-term damage.
Play well and play strain free golf.
