Golfing can have many positive health benefits. For instance, it can help improve strength and cardiovascular fitness. These and other benefits may be why 1 in every 3 Americans over the age of 6 plays, watches or reads about golf.
However, as with any sport, there is a possibility of injuring yourself while playing golf. A medical study in 2016 found that nearly 41% of amateur players injured themselves every year. For professionals, the injury rate jumped to up to 90%.
Physical therapists can help you learn some of the golf injuries that are most common, and these medical professionals can help you find effective treatment for your injuries as well.
Three of the most common golf injuries:
- Back strains — Golfing involves a lot of twisting and bending. One part of the body that’s heavily involved in such movements is the back. The bent-over stance that golfing requires you to adopt can leave back muscles tired, which makes them more injury prone. Also, the forces of a golf swing can place a lot of pressure on your back muscles. Both of these factors mean that back muscle strains are common among golfers.
- Golfer’s elbow — This elbow injury doesn’t just occur in golfers, but it is a common issue for these athletes. Golfer’s elbow occurs when the tendons on the inside of your elbow are overstretched. This leads to inflammation and pain in the inner elbow. Medical researchers report that up to 20% of all elbow tendon injuries are golfer’s elbow cases.
- Wrist tendinitis — The wrist contains a large number of tendons. The forces of a golf swing or hitting the ground with a golf club can lead to wrist tendinitis. This injury happens when the wrist tendons become inflamed. The most common sign of wrist tendinitis is pain and tenderness on the top of your wrist. Often, this pain is felt at the top of your backswing and when your club impacts the ball.
Panther PT offers top-notch treatment for golf injuries
Have you recently developed a golf injury? Our team at Panther Physical Therapy includes sports injury specialists who can help you. We can do a free screening on you to determine what injury you have. Then, our specialists can build you a personalized therapy plan designed to:
- Reduce pain.
- Improve your ability to do normal daily activities.
- Decrease your risk of future injuries.
You can even sign up for at-home care or virtual therapy sessions that allow you to treat your injury from home.
Contact our team today for more information about our sports injury treatment services or to schedule an initial appointment.