REHABING THE CRONIC GOLF INJURY
Bob Forman
Director, The Golf Fitness Academy
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
In Part I we discussed the acute injury and steps to take to hasten the healing process to help get the injured golfer back out on the golf course in a timely manner. If you recall, an acute injury is a sudden injury like spraining a wrist trying to hit out of the woods and slamming into a root. It requires immediate attention and can limit play if not properly treated.
In this article, I’ll focus on the chronic injury. It, too, can be debilitating and limit the amount of play, but much of that limitation relies on recognizing the injury and then doing something about it.
The Chronic Injury
The chronic injury is an injury that develops over time, usually starting out as a nagging ache that hangs around. You’ve probably experienced them before. . .a twinge in the shoulder, hip or knee; the occasional low back thing; a little bit of soreness in the elbow. The ache can gradually intensify or just remain a nagging ache that can hamper your golf swing and/or your playing time and performance.
Most chronic injuries develop because we allow them to. That nagging little ache is just that and will go away on its own is the mind-set most assume when confronted with a little discomfort. Ignoring it is the wrong thing to do and may cause an unwelcomed vacation from the game you love.
If you get a persistent ache that doesn’t go away and/or progresses to the point where you finally decide to do something about it, be patient and be persistent. This condition did not develop overnight and more than likely will not be remedied overnight.
Consistency in the treatment is imperative. Don’t think that just one or two applications will do the trick and once the discomfort is gone, continued treatment for a few days afterward will ensure effectiveness. That’s especially true once you resume play.
For the chronic injury the recommended treatment modality is moist heat. Compared to dry heat pads and ointments, moist heat penetrates deeper into muscles, joints, and soft tissue getting to where the injury originates. Dry heat pads or rubs basically heat the superficial layer of skin and therefore are not very effective when treating chronic injury.
There are a number of moist heat products for purchase. A good, free home treatment, however, is placing a wet towel in a microwave for one to two minutes, depending on your microwave, and placing the tolerable hot towel on the affected body part. Keep in mind that microwaves do vary so some testing may be required to determine how long to set the timer. Too hot and you may scold the skin.
A second dry towel placed over the wet towel will help retain the heat somewhat. You probably will, however, have to reheat the wet towel a second time as the heat will be lost after a brief time. Applying the moist heat for 15 to 20-minutes is a good goal. Applying the moist heat more than once a day would also be beneficial if the time allows.
If you must tee it up while rehabbing a chronic injury, a moist heat application before the round may help loosen up the affected area and offer some relief on the course. Icing down the area after the round is recommended followed by a continuation of moist heat treatments later in the day.
Often times muscle imbalance and anatomical misalignment by themselves are the precursors to chronic injury. Poor swing mechanics may also cause injury and will definitely serve to exacerbate conditions brought on by muscle imbalance. This generally leads to further pain and discomfort, often for prolonged periods of time.
Identifying and correcting the imbalances while seeking out the advice of a swing coach are the one-two punch for better, pain-free golf. I’ll talk more about the mechanism of injury next month.
Remember, moist heat should not be used at the onset of an acute injury. Ice is the recommended treatment for the first 24 to 48 hours. Moist heat can then be applied once the swelling has subsided. Seeking medical advice from a physician is always a good idea, especially if the type and extent of the injury is unknown.
Managing injury is key to a quick return to the golf course. Don’t procrastinate when a nagging ache develops. Always err on the side of caution and begin appropriate treatment as soon as possible. That treatment depends on the type of injury. . .acute or chronic. If uncertain about any injury and/or an injury doesn't respond to simple treatment, seek medical attention.
Part I – Acute Injury
Part III – Mechanism for Golf-Related Injury and How to Correct
