Although many people think of golf as a relaxing hobby, golf injuries are frequently seen here in the physio clinic.

Tiger Woods (arguably the best golfer in the history of the game) has had his fair share of injury woes; Achilles tendon, knees, back, neck and shoulder.

Whilst he may be hitting the greens for a bit more practice than your average golfer, there are some common complaints related to golf we see in the clinic.

ELBOW PAIN

There are two types of elbow injuries common to golf.

Most people have heard of “tennis elbow” (lateral epicondylalgia) but this pain that is felt on the outside of the elbow also occurs in golfers.

Pain on the inside part of the elbow (medial epicondylalgia) is also common amongst golfers and we sometimes referred to this as “golfers elbow”.

They are usually associated with increased golf swinging load and overuse of the elbow muscles and an inability for the tendon to recover effectively between bouts of activity.

BACK PAIN

The golf swing involves coordinated movement all the way from the feet right up to the tips of the fingers.

Most people don’t realise how much twisting of the head, neck and trunk occurs during the swing action. Neck, upper or lower back pain commonly affects golf performance or prevents people from getting out on the course.

Injury or ageing may lead to restricted movement or pain which can impair performance. Improving your trunk flexibility or core strength may assist with your golf swing and even improve your driving distance!

SHOULDER PAIN

Pain in the shoulder is another issue report in the clinic by golfers.

The swing not only places a lot of load on the muscles and tendons in the shoulder but you require good flexibility. Subacromial bursitis, rotator cuff tears or degeneration can be particularly aggravated by the golf swinging action.

Many people try to shorten their swing to reduce pain, but inevitably this doesn’t fix the problem or improve their scorecard.

HIP, KNEE AND FOOT PAIN

Sometimes the walking distance covered by golfers can lead to niggles of the Achilles or plantar fascia.

In older or retiree golfers hip and knee arthritis is more common which may make walking around the course difficult. Stiff joints and weakness in surrounding muscles is a common issue which can affect the golf swing.

Thanks to The Biomechanics Lab we also have the ability to use the latest 3D video analysis equipment here in the clinic to analyse your golf swing.

We can even send a copy of your video to your golf coach so they can see the finer details of your swing.

If you think injuries or niggles affecting your golf swing why not make an appointment at Leading Edge today.