Golfing injuries: A summary of a recent article featured in The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Golf is a popular sport, as it is accessible to people of almost any age. The popularity of golf in the older population cannot be argued. In contrast to most other sports, we tend to play more golf as we get older. Golf has many potential health benefits for those who play – it is primarily a low-impact form of physical exercise, it is generally a social pursuit, and it is performed outdoors, giving the added benefits of fresh air and contact with nature.
Golfing injuries
Given the popularity of golf among older Australians, we should not be surprised to learn that golfing injuries are reasonably common, with an incidence rate of nearly 16%. The more experienced the golfer, the lower the risk of an injury.
Golfing injuries occur most frequently in the back, shoulder and elbow and are more commonly due to repetitive overload rather than a traumatic injury. 46% of golfing injuries happen during the swinging action, as this movement requires the combined movement of the ankle, knee, hip, back, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand.
Preventing injury
The authors of this recent review article have suggested some simple strategies to decrease the risk of injury while playing golf:
Play regularly! Keep your body in the swing of it, as the sporadic golfer has a higher risk of injury.
Warm up first. Even a simple 10 minute warm up and stretch routine is likely to help you stay injury-free.
Improve your technique. Getting some instruction on your swing is not just to improve your handicap, but is also likely to decrease the risk of injury.
Golf alone is not enough. Include some other form of exercise in your weekly routine – especially something that will provide you with good back and arm strength to prepare you for the rigors of the golf swing!
Zouzias, I. C., Hendra, J., Stodelle, J., & Limpisvasti, O. (2018). Golf injuries: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment. JAAOS-Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 26(4), 116-123.