At the Marc Bony Chiropractic Center in Mataró, we understand how golf can put a strain on your spine. With our chiropractic care, you can optimize your performance and protect your health.
Golf and Chiropractic
Chiropractic Care Boosts Golfers' Performance
Playing golf is a fantastic way to exercise (especially if you skip the golf cart) and is a natural stress reliever. However, golf is hard on the spine (Golf and Chiropractic) and can lead to back problems. Regular chiropractic care has not only been shown to keep the spine aligned, but research also indicates that it can improve your golf performance.
PGA players on the 75% tour sing the praises of chiropractic care. Professional golfer Tiger Woods has been an advocate of chiropractic care for years, and we all know he has become an incredible athlete.
«Being a chiropractic patient It has really helped me a lot… lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to a chiropractor for as long as I can remember. »For me, it’s just as important to my training as practicing my swing.« Tiger Woods It’s obvious to almost any sports enthusiast: Why do the world’s best athletes choose to include chiropractic care as part of their lifestyle or combine it with their athletic training? Chiropractic care works. But you don’t have to be a professional golfer (Golf and Chiropractic) to benefit from chiropractic care. Chiropractic care helps any athlete restore function to spinal joints that are restricted and not moving properly. Muscles, joints, and ligaments depend on proper range of motion to perform at their best. Injuries to these tissues can reduce range of motion, decrease blood flow, and literally »take you out of the game.”
The Goal for Perfect Posture
Proper posture on and off the course is essential for your health and for preventing injuries. If your spine is misaligned, your swing will be misaligned as well. Professional and amateur golfers alike regularly seek chiropractic adjustments to prevent injuries and maintain that perfect golf swing they’ve worked so hard to achieve. Optimal posture improves your ability to hit the ball more consistently by increasing your range of motion, enhancing your balance, and improving your stability. If you’re like 90% of the population who suffer from forward head posture in your daily life—and not just on the golf course. With the vast majority of us spending hours hunched over our laptops, our BlackBerries, and behind the wheel, the prevalence of this condition has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. For a golfer with a forward-head posture trying to achieve an optimal golf stance, he or she may try to pull the shoulders and head back, but finds it practically impossible to straighten them completely. Rounded shoulders and a head positioned forward—shifting the center of gravity—alter the body’s balance. Without this balance and stability, the power of the swing can be severely compromised, as can the accuracy and speed of the swing.
Spinal Disc Protrusion
Countless golfers across the country suffer from the same condition, which can even sideline the world’s best players: a herniated disc. Meanwhile, the pain associated with a herniated disc may be mild and accompanied by numbness and tingling. The numbness and tingling subside, or the abnormal sensations caused by impaired sensory nerve function diminish. The sensation of having a «numb» foot is well known—and as a chiropractor, I recommend seeking treatment immediately before we compensate with altered movement patterns, which can affect spinal cord tissue and lead to serious disc problems, potentially resulting in more pain and a longer recovery time. For golfers, a herniated disc can occur as a result of chronic repetitive stress and acute trauma caused by repeated club swings. When injured, the discs—which act as cushions between the bones of the spine—can press on the spinal cord and nerve roots, often causing numbness in the arms and legs, neck stiffness, or difficulty walking.
Warm Up and Stretch Before «Taking the First Swing»
No matter what type of sport or physical activity you’re about to participate in, it’s essential to warm up and stretch the muscles in your neck, back, legs, and arms. As a chiropractic physician certified in sports medicine, I can create a customized exercise program that fits into your routine and that you can follow both on and off the golf course. «Few amateur golfers warm up properly before practicing or playing a round of golf. If you don’t stretch before playing golf, you’re asking your body to play with an added handicap. Muscles that are properly warmed up and stretched before the first shot are supple and loose, allowing your body to perform at its full potential.» (PGA Student Handbook for the Golf Tour Academy)
Give Up the Golf Cart, but Keep an Eye on the Weight of Your Golf Bag
In addition to the golf swing that bends your back over and over again, the weight of your golf bag—not to mention a mix of 14 irons and woods, golf balls, and an assortment of accessories—is enough to cause a serious injury. Invest in a push cart instead of lugging your bag to every hole on the course. Or at the very least, alternate carrying it on each shoulder. As I mentioned earlier, give up the golf cart. Choose to walk the course—in return, you’ll increase your endurance and boost your immune system: maximize your athletic performance and avoid injuries. Golf = Lower Back Injuries Lower back injuries are especially common among golfers. Golf causes lower back pain and strains the lower back muscles due to poor mechanics and a repetitive swing. «Stiffness in the hips and back muscles is often the root cause of mechanical flaws. Also, older golfers may have existing back conditions that the swing exacerbates: The discs between the vertebrae of the spine become less elastic over the years and are therefore less able to distribute the pressures that the swing exerts on the back.» (Harvard Health Letter 2000; 25)
In Conclusion
Do not take painkillers for quick pain relief. This only masks the pain and creates a false sense of relief in your body, leading you to believe that the pain has subsided, which can result in new and more serious injuries. As a chiropractic physician certified in sports medicine, I am trained to restore the alignment and movement of the spine through chiropractic adjustments. And remember, chiropractic care provides quick relief from lower back pain, but the long-term solution requires a much more active role on your part when it comes to your golf swing.
