GIVE YOUR SHOULDERS A BREAK THIS GOLF SEASON
Many people look upon golf as a sport of leisure and not necessarily an athletic activity. To the contrary, the golf swing is a very athletic movement, requiring a great deal of mobility, stability and coordination to be executed well….and pain free. The human body has a tendency to seek the path of least resistance in order to survive the environment it is placed in. In the golf swing, limited range of movement around the hips, upper & low back and even the neck, can lead to added stress on the shoulder. The shoulder is the 3rd most frequently injured body area, behind the back (#1) and wrist (#2).This makes the shoulder a very vulnerable area for injury, not only in golfers, but in other overhead activities such as throwing a ball, swinging a racket or bat and even reaching overhead when gardening. It is important to recognize when we have physical limitations that put our shoulders at risk for an injury. When it comes to determining the risk of shoulder injuries specifically in golfers, there are 4 things to consider: 1. Posture – poor posture in your golf stance places your entire spine in a less than optimal position for executing the golf swing. It makes it much more difficult to rotate through the torso or trunk. You are much more likely to increase the movement of the shoulder, thereby placing more stress on the muscles & tendons that support the shoulder. The most commonly affected structure being the tendons of the rotator cuff. 2. Trunk Rotation – the inability to rotate through the trunk will cause the golfer to have a shortened backswing. To compensate, they will strain at the shoulder in an effort to increase the length of the backswing. By increasing trunk rotation through mobilization of the thoracic spine, it allows you to execute a more fluid and effective swing and ultimately reducing the strain placed on the shoulder. 3. Mobility at the gleno-humeral (shoulder) joint – limited ability to rotate the upper arm can affect both the backswing and the follow through during the golf swing. This may result in additional stress to the muscles and tendons of the shoulder, once again, the rotator cuff taking on the added load in most cases. Accommodations within the swing to adjust for these limitations may in turn, place added stress on the low back and hips. 4. Stability at the shoulder blade – the 4 muscles of the rotator cuff all attach to the shoulder blade. Their job is to stabilize the end of the upper arm in the shoulder joint. An unstable shoulder blade makes it harder for the rotator cuff to stay strong and do its job. With the repetitive nature of golf, the end result is a fatigued and overworked cuff that is susceptible to tendonitis. Left unchecked, this could result in that rotator cuff failing over time and suffering a tear.
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FREE SHOULDER PAIN SCREEN
We have set aside 20 slots for FREE SHOULDER SCREENS during the month of April. Call your local Achieve Therapy clinic to schedule your FREE SHOULDER SCREEN today! •Immediate relief from shoulder pain. •Expert, hands on treatment for muscles and joints causing shoulder pain. •Faster recovery period. •Learn how to avoid future shoulder pain. CALL YOUR LOCAL CLINIC TODAY!
The key to reducing the risk of you having shoulder pain, or an injury, this golf season is recognizing where your deficiencies may lay. A musculoskeletal screen specific to the golf posture allows us to recognize those areas and to develop an exercise plan to help
you avoid shoulder issues. The Titleist Performance Institute has put together a golf specific screen and Achieve Therapy and TPI Certified Athletic Trainer Jeff Barta, is trained to perform those screens. If you would like to learn more about the TPI Golf Screen and how it can benefit you, or if you already know you would benefit from a Golf Screen, contact Jeff at 701-757-1322 or via email at jbarta@achieve-therapy. com. You can also visit www.mytpi.com to learn more and to receive helpful tips for improving your golf game.
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