I play golf. To be honest, I am really bad at golf but use it as a outlet to distract from the stresses of real life. Chasing a little white ball around someone else’s manicured lawn that I do not have to cut seems like fun to me.
It is also a great way to be able to spend time with my sons ages 15, 17 and 19. They are fortunate to have learned to play golf at a young age and, as a result, have very graceful, athletic golf swings and almost always beat me on the course. The best thing about golf for me however is the time I get to spend with my sons. I hope that as I get older, I can still stay fit and flexible enough to spend that time with them. It won’t be long before they don’t need me to pay for greens fees and they have their own lives, perhaps far away from home. If life is kind to me, I hope we will be able to still get together to play golf and spend that time together.
I am very aware that as we age, there are certain unavoidable changes that occur to the joints, and other soft tissues like tendons, ligaments and muscle. We heal more slowly as we age as well due to those unavoidable wear and tear changes that we all experience. Some call this “Boomeritis”. This is a topic for another day.
From the AAOS website…
Swinging the club on the open green, hitting the perfect shot and playing in the warm sun are just a few things golfers love about hitting the links. Golfing can be a treat for both the mind and body. However, an injury to the bones, muscles or joints can cast a big shadow over the day. That is why the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recommends following the proper techniques to prevent golf-related injuries.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
- There were more than 103,000 golf-related injuries treated in doctors’ offices, clinics and emergency rooms in 2007, which incurred a total cost of approximately $2.4 billion in medical, work-loss, pain and suffering, and legal fees.
- Golfers most often suffer from hand tenderness or numbness; shoulder, back and knee pain; golfer’s elbow; and wrist injuries, such as tendinitis or carpal tunnel syndrome.
Because orthopedic surgeons not only treat, but try to prevent injuries of the bones, joints and muscles, the AAOS offers the following tips to help prevent golfing injuries:
- Newer golfers should take lessons and begin participating in the sport gradually.
- Practice on real turf instead of rubber mats, when possible.
- Dress for comfort and protection from the elements. Make sure to wear the appropriate golf shoes: ones with short cleats are best.
- Do not hunch over the ball too much; it may predispose you to neck strain and rotator cuff tendinitis. Look at Tiger’s stance and try to keep the head up, shoulders back and spine straight. Hunching forward with you head down makes a proper back swing more difficult.
- Avoid golfer’s elbow – which is caused by a strain of the muscles in the inside of the forearm – by performing wrist and forearm stretching exercises and not overemphasizing your wrists when swinging.
- Shoulder, back and hamstring stretches are also helpful. A fluid back swing requires flexibility.
- Yoga is a great exercise to improve your flexibility and strength.
Have fun. Thanks for checking in.
JTM, MD