If you have moved to Spain to enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle as you age, you may have swapped more physically demanding sports activities for a gentler pastime like golf. But even ‘a good walk spoiled’ can produce plenty of injuries that can send you to see a chiropractor.
Of course, you can have unfortunate instances like slips and trips while playing, not to mention being hit by the ball. However, there are some particular musculoskeletal injuries that can be commonly sustained out on the course. According to Golf.com, three injuries stand out as being the most frequent.
Firstly, lower back injuries are a frequent issue. Even top players who are committed gym bunnies can suffer from them, the most obvious case being that of Tiger Woods, who has endured four surgeries.
The key cause is rotating your lower back too much when swinging. Ideally, you should avoid this, but if you find yourself on the chiropractor’s table with a sore back, you can at least be assured that you are in the best golfing company.
Wrist injuries are also common, with the article mentioning Michelle Wie as a serious sufferer. These mainly arise from accidentally hitting your club against the ground, an error you want to avoid anyway as it affects your shot, as well as the injury risk.
Neck injuries are the third common problem and something golfers with poor neck mobility suffer from, with professionals like Jason Dufner among those who have struggled a lot with this. Good swing mechanics can go some way to reducing the risk.
The fact leading players with finely-honed techniques have endured such injuries shows that even if you do improve technical elements (which will be good for your game anyway), you may still need some treatment. You certainly shouldn’t play on in pain.
Equally, given that professionals have played PGA events at ages as advanced as 77, you can be confident that with good chiropractic care, you can keep playing for many years.
