Common golf injuries and how to prevent them

Golf is known to be a low-risk sport when it comes to injuries. However, many young golfers, especially the ones who play with a poor swing technique, will develop a risk of injury due to the excessive stress placed on their back, shoulders, and elbows.

The most common golf injuries are back pain, shoulder pain, elbow injuries, knee pain, and wrist injuries. These injuries are commonly induced by overuse of the muscles and repeated movements or occasionally by trauma. 

BACK PAIN 

Back pain is the most common golf injury. Generally, golfers spend three to four hours in a bent position while applying pressure to the spine and back muscles. The repetitive activity of the golf swing during those times puts tremendous strain on the back, which results in pain.

How to prevent:

Wearing a back brace is the ideal way to play golf pain-free without worrying about repetitious golf swings. 

One should also try some flexibility exercises, such as yoga, which can be very helpful in controlling back injuries.

SHOULDER PAIN  

Shoulder injuries can be extremely painful and may affect your swing. If you hit a rock during your swing stage, the force of the impact can provoke a rotator cuff injury and pain in the shoulder. 

How to Prevent:

Improving the swing technique and wearing a shoulder and clavicle support is the recommended way to ease the pressure on the shoulders and prevent rotator cuff tears. 

ELBOW INJURY

Tendonitis is the most usual injury of the elbow. It is a condition commonly found in golfers and typically affects the trailing arm and results from poor swing form. Also, if you hold the grip of the club too tightly, you may experience elbow injuries.

How to prevent: 

Forearm muscle strengthening can help prevent elbow pain and injury. 

WRIST INJURIES 

Tendonitis is one of the usual wrist injuries in golf. It’s an inflammation of the tendons in the wrist nearest to your thumb caused by gripping your club and turning your wrist whilst swinging. 

How to Prevent:

Initial treatment involves rest, immobilization, and anti-inflammatory medication as your doctor suggests. 

Wear a wrist support brace during golfing, will nearly eliminate the risks of tendinitis. 

KNEE PAIN 

An excessive force applied on the knee can induce torn or sprained ligaments and kneecap injuries. Knee injuries vary in type and severity, and it’s no enigma that knees suffer more as you age. 

Whenever you feel knee pain, contact your doctor quickly, if you neglect a knee pain, you may end up with a surprising injury, which may dramatically affect your ability to play.

How to Prevent:

A proper knee sleeve or knee support should be worn at all times on a weak knee to help prevent tears and sprains. 

Another way is to gently stretch your calves, hamstrings, and core muscles before heading out for around. Wear shoes with good arch support, and use a brace if you sense weakness or twinges.