It’s Golf Season!!

Does this sound like you? You haven’t swung a golf club all winter, you’ve been sitting at a desk all day, you rush to the first tee with no time for a warm up, you pull out your driver and hit the ball as hard as you can, the ball goes 50 yards, …and you’ve hurt your back.

It’s finally warm enough for golfers to hit the course, and this is a scenario we see many times, not just at this time of year, but all during the golf season. One of the leading causes of injury to golfers is lack of flexibility. When watching the professionals, I’m always amazed at their flexibility and how far they can rotate the club on both the backswing and follow through. Their hip and back flexibility is phenomenal, producing a more powerful swing and less strain on the back. Golfers from Jack Nicklaus to Tiger Woods mention in their books the importance of a warm up routine before golf and a regular stretching program year-round.

Another cause of back injury is lack of strength in the core muscles. Many people have sedentary jobs, sitting at a computer all day. Leg muscles and trunk muscles get weak because they are not being used. When you add poor swing mechanics to lack of strength and flexibility, injuries will occur.

In the latest Nike commercial, Rory McIlroy is seen getting massage therapy and a chiropractic adjustment to help keep him mobile for golf. He works out to keep himself strong. While none of us will ever be as good as Rory, we can still follow a routine of stretching and strengthening to prevent injuries. At Burlington Sports Therapy, our athletic therapist can design a program for you that will help you to minimize the chance of injury. Regular massage during the golf season can help keep muscles loose. Chiropractic adjustments can keep the spine mobile. And we highly recommend taking a lesson from a golf instructor who can correct biomechanical problems in your swing that can lead to injury.

Give us a call today to find out how to reduce your risk of injury on the golf course this summer. We are located in Burlington, Ontario, and we serve Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton, Milton and the surrounding areas.

Madeleine Hunter, CAT(C), RMT