Golfers Flashcards
mechanical stress lumbar spine
- cadaver study have shown that it takes 9x the normal compression force of gravity to rupture a disc while a proper golf swing generates 8x the normal force or 8 Gs
most common injuries in amateurs
- left elbow
- left wrist/hand
- low back
- left shoulder
- right elbow
- left knee
- elbow much more common for amateurs due o hitting ground or objects, overuse, poor technique
most common injuries in professionals
- lower back
- L elbow
- L wrist/hand
- L shoulder
- L knee
*LB much more common for pros due to repetitive swinging, high force technique
Common Golf injuries Phases
- Address
- Backswing
- Down Phase
- Impact
- Follow through
Address
- address refers to the initial stance
- no injuries typically occur in the address phase, but mistakes in grip or stance can lead to injury-causing consequences later in the swing
Backswing injuries
- wrist/thumb tendonitis
- aggravation of wrist/ thumb arthritis
- nerve stretch injuries of the wrist (*carpal tunnel)
- elbow tendonitis
- shoulder impingement
- low back injuries
Downswing
- abdominal muscles are working 3 times harder, spinal muscles are working 4-5 times harder, and right RC and pecs working 6-7 times harder in down swing
- head of golf club has a potential to accelerate up to 100 mph in 0.2 sec
- injuries are 2 times more likely to occur in this phase versus the backswing due to the amt of force and velocity required
downswing inuries
- wrist tendonitis/ strain
- elbow tendonitis/strain
- stress fractures of the ribs
- strains in RC, pecs, and back muscles
impact injuries
- Impact phase refers to the portion of the swing in which the club makes contact with the ball
- hamate fracture
- carpal tunnel syndrome
- wrist/finger tendonitis
- elbow tendonitis
- RC strain or trear
- aggravation of hip/knee arthritis pain
follow through injuries
- refers to the deceleration or the slowing down of the club after contact with the ball
- one in four golf swing injuries occur here
- low back hyperextension injury
- sprain knee and ankle
- hip bursitis/tendonitis
Patient education wrist/hand
- select the proper equipment
- use larger and softer club grip
- get clubs rewrapped yearly ( or every 50 rounds)
- use a glove on each hand
- use proper club length
- handle should extend beyond left pinky flesh
patient education knees
- prepare with proper warm ups and proper equipment selection
- take golf lessons
- rest as needed
- use cart as walking an 18 hole course can exceed 5-6 miles of walking
- use shorter irons
- go spike less
patient education
total joint replacements
- total joint replacements can be golfer friendly with no higher complications found 2 years post op with golfing
- consider precautions for first 6-12 mo
- avoid playing in wet conditions
- use small spikes or none
- use a cart or caddy
- limit backswing and follow through to decr mechanical stress on body
patient education low back
- Prepare with a proper warm
- se of proper equipment
- sufficient strength and flexibility of spine/trunk and LE
- most injuries are sustained during fatigue
- proper form and mobility will increase endurance needed for proper form
- proper body mechanics during non swing activities such as putting on shoes, retrieving or teeing up ball, getting bag out of car should be performed properly
- make sure and provide sufficient time to recover prior to returning to golfing
return to play guidelines
- safely consists of 5 week progression to full return this is assuming that pain, and flexibility deficits have been corrected and you have been cleared by a healthcare professional in cases of post-op surgeries and serious injuries
5 week progression of return to play
- Week 1: Putting and chipping
2: chipping and short irons
3: short/medium irons
4: long irons and driving
5: full play 9 holes 1st then 18
What body parts are responsible for rotating?
- Subtalar 5-8 deg
- Hips 30-40 deg IR
- Hips 40-60 deg ER
- Thoracic spine 40 deg
What happens when we don’t use the body properly?
- compensations
- the lost kinetic energy in this case results in excessive upper extremity force to compensate resulting in UE injuries