85 % of golfers suffer from this: and How to Prevent it.

Golf is a sport that requires precision, skill, and a deep understanding of body mechanics. Which most people never get and that’s why they’re not very good at the game. though you and I both know those people are still gonna play as they should. The game offers numerous health and longevity benefits for the brain, however the repetitive nature of golf swings can lead to various musculoskeletal injuries if your muscles are not in the proper alignment and your swing is ineffective at transferring force through the body.



Understanding these common issues is essential for people who want to maintain peak performance and enjoy the game longer without discomfort. In this article, I’ll discuss the top injuries faced by golfers and share insights, supported by scientific studies, on how our unique approach can keep you injury-free on the course.

It’s important to note often times when you’re feeling pain in an area that is a result of a misfire or miscommunication of the other tissues in an area that works to stabilize the symptomatic area:

Lower Back Pain

-How It Occurs: Lower back pain in golfers is primarily due to the rotational forces exerted on the spine during a swing. The golf swing involves a complex sequence of movements that can place significant stress on the lumbar region, especially if there are existing muscular imbalances (abs,obliques, TVA that also result in poor posture. Additionally, inadequate warm-up, improper swing mechanics, and overuse can exacerbate this strain, leading to chronic pain.

Major key

The primary structural function of the transverse abdominis muscle is to provide deep core stability by compressing the abdominal cavity and supporting the spine and pelvis, essentially acting like a "corset" to hold internal organs in place and maintain proper posture, especially during movement. This space is the single most important space to focus on in your training and in your postural training, this sets up the distance between the ribs and the hips, which also sets up the posture alignment for the shoulders as they float on the rib cage.



The structural function of the obliques is to provide support and stability to the abdominal wall, allowing for trunk rotation, side bending, and flexion by contracting in different combinations, while also helping to maintain intra-abdominal pressure and assist with breathing through forced exhalation; essentially, they play a key role in core stability and movement of the torso.





Prevention Insight: focus on exercises that enhance coordination, core strength, and improves posture, ensuring movements are aligned with posture and tied into breath work. connecting as many systems of movement to the core through breath work as possible makes the body more efficient, Making sure each Muscle is doing its own job and not compensating for an under active tissue. thereby reducing stress on the lower back.

2. Elbow Injuries (Golfer's Elbow)

- **How It Occurs**: Golfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is caused by repetitive stress on the tendons of the forearm, often due to improper swing mechanics. (How important to know what you spent a lot of time bringing your fingers together, squeezing holding onto things tightly, but not a lot of time separating your fingers and opening your hands. Naturally side of the forearm will get extremely tight. Will get weak ) This condition arises when the muscles and tendons that control the wrist and fingers are overused, leading to inflammation and pain. Poor grip technique, excessive practice without adequate rest, and incorrect club handling can contribute to the development of this injury. All of these bad practices will add up to a muscle imbalance in your forearm, where the flexors are too tight and your extensors are too weak. (Yup another imbalance) A [study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine](https://journals.sagepub.com/home/ajs) highlights the prevalence of elbow injuries among golfers and the importance of proper technique.



Prevention Insight: take a lacrosse ball or a golf ball into the underside of your forearm and roll it around to loosen up the flexors. promoting balanced forearm strength,

Shoulder Pain

-How It Occurs: Shoulder pain in golfers can arise from overuse and poor movement patterns that place excessive stress on the shoulder joint. It’s important to understand that the shoulder blade and the shoulder and the arm in general all float around the rib cage. if there is a muscle imbalance here, they will be pain and impingement.



The repetitive motion of the golf swing can lead to rotator cuff injuries, tendonitis, or bursitis. Factors such as limited shoulder mobility, inadequate warm-up, and improper swing technique can exacerbate these issues.



Prevention Insight: step 1 will always be a movement assessment typically peoples shoulders are rounded forward from their desk. Job are driving too much leaving the back muscles lengthy and weak and the chest muscles, shortened, and overactive . Step 2 addresses muscle imbalances and promotes shoulder stability through targeted exercises, massaging the pecs longer and tightening the back to shorten them,

Knee Pain

-How It Occurs: Knee pain in golfers is often due to the rotational forces applied during swings, pain is especially if the body is not properly able to rotate into the lead hip, and or- an unstable ankle. The twisting motion on an imbalanced body can place undue stress on the knee joint as it tries to stabilize a wonky structure, leading to conditions such as meniscus tears or ligament strains.

- **Prevention Insight**: MI Golf Health optimizes movement patterns to ensure the knees ankles and hips move in harmony with while supporting and acting as a strong foundation fur the rest of the body,



Prevention Tips

1. Warm-Up Properly: Start each session with a comprehensive warm-up routine that includes dynamic stretches to prepare your body for golf's demands, focusing on shoulders, hips, and lower back.

2.Strengthen Core Muscle relationships: A strong core is vital for maintaining balance and stability. Incorporate exercises targeting the abdominal and lower back muscles to improve posture and swing mechanics.

3. Optimize movement mechanics: Regularly assess and refine your swing technique, to ensure it is efficient and biomechanically sound, minimizing joint and muscle stress.

4. **Focus on relative Flexibility: Incorporate flexibility exercises to enhance your range of motion. Which means focusing on balancing the joints, bringing them back to neutral positions. Is not enough to just stretch or follow a yoga program the point of stretching is to bring that balance back not stretch everything together at once because that changes no tension relationship on the joint.

5. Balance Muscle Strength: Work on balancing the strength of opposing muscle groups to prevent imbalances. Strengthen both upper and lower body muscles in a coordinated manner. If your shoulders are rounded forward, that means your back muscles are lengthen, and they need to be strengthened into a shorter position. If this does not make sense, I will be posting a follow up blog teaching you how to see and read Posture like a pro.

Understanding and preventing common musculoskeletal injuries is crucial for golfers aiming to enhance their performance and enjoyment of the game. By adopting a proactive approach to training and incorporating the tips outlined above, you can significantly reduce your risk of injury and continue to play at your best.

If you want a free postural analysis/ movement screen to give you a better direction on how to train your body back to equilibrium click the link here and drop a submission Submit photo/ video here

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