Guide | June 16, 2020
The golf medical consultation
"Laughter is good for the soul—but golf ruins it all again!"
– Michel Monnard.
At first glance, hitting a small white ball into a larger hole using high-tech equipment and with no time limit seems anything but athletic.
Even though today’s top “athletes” are younger and more muscular, and the sport has been an Olympic event again since 2016, golf is still sometimes looked down upon—even by colleagues in sports medicine.
However, the complexity of the movement, combined with the high number of repetitions, often leads to physical discomfort even when performed correctly. There is hardly any other sport in which people resort to painkillers as frequently.
As always, golfers who are experiencing pain should be taken seriously, since even at a young age there is a high rate of injuries—mostly in the form of pure muscular overuse—whereas structural damage plays an increasingly significant role with advancing age (> 55 years).
While injuries to the upper extremities play a minor role both functionally and statistically, the wrist and finger joints—as the points of contact with the racket—are worth mentioning here for the time being. Often, only symptomatic treatment approaches are possible in these areas, since pain in these regions is usually caused by wear and tear.
Furthermore, pain and injuries to the elbows are usually caused by problems with tendon attachments and are often a sign of significant improper loading. In such cases, preventive measures—such as adjusting one’s swing—should be considered early on.
From a biomechanical standpoint, the shoulder region plays a minor role in the proper execution of the golf swing; thus, while symptoms in this area may indicate improper stress on the joint, even complex surgical procedures—including shoulder replacement—do not preclude a person from playing golf. This is an important consideration in preoperatve consultations given the increasing number of rotator cuff reconstructions.
Not least, the lumbar spine typically suffers the most due to the biomechanics of the golf swing. Even changes in golf swing instruction and the increasing individualization of swings among top athletes over the past few decades have not changed this situation significantly. Depending on the patient’s symptoms, age, and athletic goals, a fundamental adjustment of the golf swing should also be considered during a preventive consultation.
Tiger Woods’ former swing coach, Sean Foley, publicly stated as early as 2012 that a golf swing that is foreseeable to lead to injuries should not be tolerated—no matter how successful it might be. Tiger Woods ended his collaboration with Foley in 2014. Unfortunately, even those with little interest in golf are familiar with the subsequent course of his career.
Physical discomfort before, during, or after a round of golf should not be ignored. The following areas often play a role in golfers:
- Spine and Hip
- Shoulder, Elbow, and Hand
- Knee, Ankle, and Foot
- Osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, shoulder, facet joints, foot, elbow, and hand
- Acute muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries
- Chronic Overload Syndromes
- Postoperative Symptoms
- Symptoms Following Joint Replacement Surgery
- golf-specific preventive measures
In addition to a thorough conventional orthopedic and medical evaluation, the specific aspects of your golf game should be taken into account during diagnosis and treatment.
So you can play golf better and without discomfort!
Your ROC Aschheim