Chiropractic Care for Upper Extremity Golfing Injuries

Deals are made on the golf course. Deals are also broken on the golf course. But, these are not the only issues of concern for the professional who utilizes the golf course for making and breaking deals. Each day, professional adult are at-risk for sustaining injury while on the golf course, especially that of the upper extremities.

If you are a professional who utilizes the golf course as an avenue by which to discuss business and entertain clients, it is important to understand the health risks involved. While we generally do not think of golf as a high risk sport, the fact is, many adults seek out therapeutic and chiropractic care each year for complications arising out of golfing injuries.

The upper extremities are the most common area of complaint in those who golf on a regular basis. More specifically, physicians report complaints usually involve the elbows, wrists, shoulders, and even the lower back. If you are experiencing pain following a day of golfing, it may be prudent to seek medical attention from a chiropractor.

Because your golf swing is generally divided into five phases, your chiropractor will need to know which of the five phases may have been responsible for your onset of pain: backswing, downswing, acceleration, early follow-through or late follow-through. Understanding the pathomechanics of your injury will assist in developing your treatment plan.

What chiropractors often find is that your upper extremity injury is usually the result of a muscle strain that occurs when the club makes contact with the golf fall. As a result, most of your therapy will involve a plan to resolve muscle pain and strains, using heat therapy, passive and active range-of-motion exercises, and even spinal manipulations. With rest from your golf game, therapy over a four to six week period, followed by a refresher course in proper body mechanics in a golf swing, most of your golf related pain can be alleviated. The key, however, is identifying the body mechanics that led to the injury and the resolving those as soon as pain develops.