Regular golf practice has many health benefits and improves quality of life, as it is an aerobic exercise practiced outdoors and positively modifies cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health:
- The walking distance is 5-8 km, which means an expenditure of about 400-500 calories carrying the clubs or about 300 calories if pushing the cart.
- The swing (series of movements made to hit the ball with the club) exercises both muscle power and aim, so it works both strength and coordination, the latter being beneficial for the brain.
However, this sport also carries risks of injury that must be taken into account. Although it may be thought that it is difficult to get injured while playing golf, it must be taken into account that it is a sport that requires several muscular contractions to produce complex movements: in the swing, more than 60 muscles and numerous joints need to be activated and a speed of more than 150 km/h can be reached in less than 20 tenths of a second when hitting the ball. This whole process involves an effort that, if not carried out properly, can lead to an acute injury or an overuse injury.
When and how do golf injuries occur?
In the first phase of the swing, there is usually a hyperextension of the arms at the end of the swing, so it can lead to epitrochleitis (“golfer’s elbow”) or epicondylitis (“tennis elbow”).
Another injury that can occur is an overload of the lumbar musculature or the lumbosacral hinge. This is due to rotation and derotation of the lumbar spine, the force of which can damage the paravertebral musculature, vertebral ligaments, facet joints or intervertebral discs.
In the final phase of the backswing (action of pulling the club backwards to gain momentum), many people raise their arms too high, so that the tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder under the acromion bone are compressed and can be damaged if the movement is repeated.
If the club hits the ground by mistake and the club is not held correctly when trying to hit the ball, injuries to the wrist can occur, especially in the hook bone, and strain or tear in the core musculature (lumbar, abdominal, hips and scapular stabilizer) if it is not properly toned.
Finally, in the final phase of the swing, the movement progressively slows down, which can damage the tendons of the right shoulder or the dorsolumbar spine or cause ankle and knee overload.
How can golf injuries be prevented?
It is important to follow the following advice from your orthopedic surgeon to avoid injury while playing golf:
- Undergo a prior medical examination to assess the points susceptible to injury and treat it. The main areas to take into account are the shoulders and elbows and the back in the lumbar area.
- Correct technique to minimize the risk of injury caused by sudden and repeated overexertion.
- Practice aerobic sports (running, swimming, walking, cycling, etc.) to stay in good shape.
- Warm up before starting to play. First, do mobilization exercises for the whole body, starting with the cervical area and ending with the ankles. Then make specific swing movements progressively increasing the speed and, if possible, with longer and longer clubs, which stimulates muscle memory and improves performance.