By Dr. Aaron Przybysz of Hoag
Some people think of golf as a low-impact sport. We call those people “non-golfers.” In reality, the repetitive motions and rotational forces of golf can lead to a surprising number of injuries – a truth amateur and pro golfers alike know all too well.
As a pain medicine specialist at the Hoag Spine Institute, I see people who are contending with pain from repetitive motion, accidents and other injuries. Prevention is the most important aspect of pain management, and with the Hoag Classic returning to the Newport Beach Country Club on March 22, now may be a good time to brush up on the basics of golf injury prevention and care.
Prevention. Prevention is preferable to treating injury, so make sure you put in the time to condition and strengthen your body between games. Strength training, balance, stretching and other exercise will help you stay conditioned and can help prevent the kind of repetitive motion injuries common to golf.
Focus on Your Core. To protect against the most common injury, lower back pain, try core strengthening exercises, such as planks, bridges and bear crawls. Meanwhile, shoulder exercises and stretching can keep you well-conditioned against repetitive shoulder strain, not to mention potentially improve your golf swing.
Physical Therapy. If something does go awry, keep in mind that you might experience a dull ache rather than a dramatic pain. Consider talking with your doctor about physical therapy to prevent further injury.
Seek Expert Advice. No matter how conditioned or prepared a golfer is, sometimes injuries do happen and more advanced treatment is necessary. Persistent pain that doesn’t respond to rest, or pain that limits daily activities, warrants evaluation. At the Hoag Spine Institute we believe in starting with conservative measures and tailoring interventions to a person’s goals and sport activity level.
Find a Team You Can Trust. If you do suffer a golf injury, know that microscopic surgical procedures, clinical trials into new non-narcotic pain medications and other innovations are allowing people to return to the activities they love, and can help golfers’ peace of mind, even after a debilitating injury. The Hoag Spine Institute is a family of subspecialists that work collaboratively to provide comprehensive care to our patients. We’re at the top of our game, so that you can be at the top of yours.
Pain can be debilitating. But it can also be managed. Every day at Hoag we push the boundaries of what’s possible in spine care and pain management – so athletes can push the boundaries of their game.
Double board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine, Aaron Przybysz, MD, PhD, is the John L. Curci Family Endowed Chair in Pain Management at Hoag. Visit www.Hoag.org.
