5 Ways Golfers Can Benefit From Chiropractic Care

5 Ways Golfers Can Benefit From Chiropractic Care

Professional golfers like Tiger Woods utilize chiropractic care to improve their game as well as to prevent and recover from injuries.
 

Tiger said, “Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing…. I start preparing 3.5 hours ahead of tee time with chiropractic and soft tissue work for a single round of golf.”
 

Whether you are a serious golfer or just a weekend athlete, here are five ways chiropractic care can help you improve your golf game:
 

1. Chiropractic Care Improves Range of Motion

Proper golf technique requires fluid motion.  During the windup for your swing, tightness or pain in your back or ribs will restrict movement and can interfere with your technique.  If the vertebrae in your mid or low back are out of alignment, they will restrict your natural movement, making it difficult to perform a proper swing and follow through. 
 

Your neck must be able to turn with your swing.  If your cervical vertebrae are out of alignment, you may experience pain or tightness in the neck muscles, which can cause your turn to halt. 
 

Chiropractic care can restore the vertebrae to their proper position so that you have the proper range of motion.  One of the reasons professional golfers utilize chiropractic care is to improve their range of motion so that they can perform at their peak ability.
 

2. Chiropractic Care Relieves Lower Back Pain

Lower back strain is the most common injury sustained by golfers due to the repetitive twisting involved in the golf swing. 
 

This strain causes spinal misalignment and joint dysfunction, resulting in pain and restricted movement.  It is important to treat this condition quickly, as, untreated, it can lead to lumbar disc injury and time away from your golf game to recover. 
 

Chiropractic care realigns the spine, taking pressure off the nerves that cause low back pain, and allowing the joints to return to proper function.

Chiropractic adjustments may be done manually, with a patient lying on the adjustment table while the chiropractor uses their hands in a specific manner to adjust the joints. 
 

For patients who need a gentler method, adjustments may be performed by having the patient lie on a table that has a movable lumbar section.  The chiropractor presses on specific joints while moving the table in a circular pattern. 
 

Another gentler spinal manipulation method is instrument adjusting, in which a handheld instrument delivers a gentle thrust or pulse to the affected area.
 

Chiropractors may also utilize therapies, such as interferential electrical stimulation to reduce pain and spinal decompression, to improve blood flow and restore joint function.
 

3. Chiropractic Care Can Resolve Elbow, Wrist, and Hand Injuries

The second most common golf-related injuries are wrist and hand sprains.  The rotational motion of the swing can lead to sprains, fractures, and tendonitis of the wrist, hands, or elbows.
 

Chiropractors can diagnose wrist, hand, or elbow injuries and treat sprains and tendonitis by stretching the muscles of the wrist and hand to return the wrist bones to their proper alignment and may utilitze soft tissue therapies to improve range of motion.
 

Chiropractors  may also recommend braces, nutritional supplements, and rehabilitative exercises to restore strength and mobility.
 

4. Chiropractic Care Can Help Resolve Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries are the third most common golf-related injuries.  The repetitive motion of the golf swing can place strain on the shoulder muscles and joints.
 

Golf-related shoulder injuries usually occur at the glenohumeral joint, which connects the upper arm bone to the shoulder socket or the acromioclavicular joint, which connects the shoulder blade to the collarbone.
 

Chiropractors can diagnose the location of this injury and then utilize specific stretching techniques to regain function and range of motion and to relieve pain. 
 

Depending on the area of the injury, chiropractors may also use specific therapies, acupuncture, and nutritional supplements to reduce pain and speed healing.  They may recommend rehabilitative exercises to restore strength and improve function.
 

5. Regular Chiropractic Care Can Prevent Injuries and Improve Performance

Many people only think of seeing a chiropractor to recover after an injury.  However, regular chiropractic care helps reduce the likelihood of sustaining a serious sports injury.  This is partially because chiropractic care helps improve spinal mobility and range of motion, allowing your body to perform with greater flexibility.  This allows golfers to perform well without causing undo strains or sprains.

If you are receiving regular chiropractic care, injuries are quickly detected and immediately treated before they become more serious.  This reduces recovery time and gets you back on the course more quickly.
 

Keeping better alignment through chiropractic care helps golfers have better posture and greater strength when hitting the ball.
 

Whether you are a professional or just a recreational golfer, chiropractic care can help you improve performance, prevent neck, back, and shoulder injuries, facilitate quick and lasting recovery from injuries that do occur, and help you to enjoy your time on the course more.

If you are a golfer and would like to see how chiropractic care can help you, visit Dr. Hunter Greenwood DC ND at our Nixa, Missouri office, Chiropractor Plus, or call (417) 725-6655 to book an appointment today!
 

Isn’t it time YOU felt good again?