Injury Prevention: Avoiding One of Golf's More Painful Hazards

Although the sport of golf may be mistakenly perceived as a benign physical activity, there are in fact patterns of problems such as strains to the upper limb and low-back pain that have the potential to interfere with the professional golfer's livelihood and recreational golfer's enjoyment. In this article, a summary of the literature has been provided outlining the nature and extent of common musculoskeletal injuries that golfers deal with as well as some of the risk factors that may increase injury susceptibility. A detailed overview of prevention strategies to minimize the risk of suffering a golf injury has also been provided. Since many injuries arise from poor swing biomechanics, taking instruction with a knowledgeable golf instructor can be an important first step towards injury prevention. However, if a golfing client already has an injury which originated or is aggravated by playing or practicing, then the personalized help of a physician or physiotherapist experienced in golf biomechanics is also warranted. Proper attention to prevention will ensure a lifetime of enjoyable golf “par”ticipation.