The Algarve is a dream place for golfers. We have amazing golf courses and the perfect weather to enjoy a great game on the green. Golf is a physically demanding game that requires explosive power but, at the same time, incredible precision and complexity. Being such a high demanding sport, it’s no wonder that so many golfers choose chiropractic to help improve their game.
Golfing, or any activity, is more enjoyable and causes less chance of injury if an individual’s body is in top condition and operating normally. If the neck and back are aligned correctly, awkward positioning such as a golf swing will have a less negative impact.
Golf can be played by all ages, genders and skill levels. However, the average golfer tends to take up this game at an age when flexibility is decreasing. Part of the problem is that they are no longer participating in energetic, competitive and/or physically demanding sports. This lack of activity contributes to an overall decrease in flexibility of the spine, shoulders, hips and pelvic joints which are key components of a good golf swing.
For the most part, golfers are a bunch of enthusiasts who are determined to keep playing despite how they feel. A review of the medical literature reveals that 50% of golfers suffer from back pain and other injuries related to swinging golf clubs for hours on end.
According to the PGA (Professional Golfers’ Association), lower back pain is a frequent complaint of professional golfers whose injuries are generally the result of playing too much. The same problem affects vacation or weekend golfers, but for a completely different reason. Their injuries are often caused by playing too infrequently!
Many occasional golfers lack proper swing technique and have no type of regular physical activity built into their weekly schedules. The typical amateur golfers can swing a golf club at 120 kilometres an hour. When they swing their clubs out of position or out of balance, they put tremendous strains on their joints, tendons, muscles and ligaments. The root cause of most golf injuries are poor flexibility and postural weakness.
The golf swing puts an unusually high demand on the body because of its unilateral rotation. This results in undue stress on the spine. Inexperienced golfers tend to swing harder, and the muscles used in this type of swing cause tension on the lower back. Also, golfers need to be aware of their endurance levels when they play. As a golfer gets tired, swing mechanics worsen, leading to more spinal stress and stiffness, and increased lower back pain.
The golf swing depends on nearly every joint of the body, from the tips of the toes to the ends of the fingers. All these joints taken together create an unbroken chain.
Normally, each vertebra in the spine moves independently or does its share of the motion when involved in an activity. If two or more vertebral segments move as a unit, it can lead to vertebral mechanical dysfunctions creating physical limitations in flexibility, strength, power, balance and coordination. The role of chiropractic is to re-establish mobility into these “fixated” segments so that the spinal rotation occurs in a smooth and coordinated fashion.
Chiropractic care helps improve spinal health by restoring mobility to your joints and reducing nerve interference. Many golfers already understand that maintaining a healthy and well aligned spine enhances the body’s ability to stay well and play golf painlessly.
Stay well, play well.
By Sandra Genest-Boudreau | Christophe O. Alves
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Sandra Genest-Boudreau is French-Canadian, who graduated from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in 1990 before coming to the Algarve in 2002. She is passionate about adjusting all her patients, particularly children. Christophe Alves graduated from the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic (AECC) UK, and has a special interest in Sport Chiropractic. Algarve Quiroprática clinic: EN125 in Pêra | 282 312 853 | 969 397 375
