GOLF & ETIQUETTE

Sore!? by Terri McCarthy Got an aching back, pain in the neck, sprained wrist? Oh…you may be a golfer!

over and over, for four or five hours. That excessive, repetitive stress on the back can be a bit much after a winter hiatus.”

Shoulder injuries are very common as well, and can result from poor swing technique or overuse. Any or all of the four stabilizing muscles in the shoulder's rotator cuff (the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor) can swell and pinch when injured. If you rough them up, you'll definitely feel it on the back nine.

Golf is a spectacular sport. However, thousands of people who haven't held a club (or exercised) in months get so excited to go outside and play 18 holes, they start swinging without even a few good stretches that would loosen them up and get that sleepy blood flowing.

Baseball pitchers never walk up to the mound before warming up in a bullpen. But golfers getting some mobility into their shoulders, backs, and hips with pre-game exercises? — That would be weird.

According to Devon Anasiewicz, Devon.Anasiewicz@ivyrehab.com a licensed physical therapist (PT, DPT, CSCS),* the #1 golf injury she sees is lumbar strain. She elaborated: “Golf swings generate a lot of torque, and if golfers' hips are tight, their backs must take all the load,

And then of course, elbow, wrist, and hand injuries are par for the course. Anyone who has had a misshit and struck the ground or a tree root knows the jarring amount of force that comes right up through your club into your arm. If your pinky and ring finger start tingling after that, that's your ulnar nerve talking.

The good news is that if you get good medical advice right away, and you haven't torn anything, you can generally recover from most sports injuries without surgery.

Physical therapists can develop highly customized treatment plans for you that incorporate resistance training with bands, dumbbells, kettlebells, balls, sleds, and more. They can also address any mobility deficits to prevent further injury. And by assiduously following the programs, you can usually get your strength back in 4 to 6 weeks.

And when you do, join a great group of golfers with the Golf Tour of Greater Philadelphia! Information about our tours and tournaments is available at www.golftourphilly.org