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Chiropractic and Golf
A Therapeutic Treatment and Prevention Program
By Jeffry Blanchard, DC and Leonard Finkel
In the U.S. there are almost 30 million golfers, and every one of them a potential chiropractic patient. Because of the unilateral movement in the golf swing, virtually every golfer at some point experiences some form of injury or pain: some chronic, and others acute.
There are three fundamental causes of golf injuries: poor posture, lack of flexibility and poor swing mechanics. The root cause of poor mechanics is often a result of a physical restriction or mechanical dysfunction, which may be alleviated through chiropractic procedures. Lack of flexibility can also be addressed by treatment and a prescribed stretching program specifically designed around each patient's restrictions. Obviously, chiropractic care is ideally suited to deal with poor posture.
On the golf course, physical exertion is intermittent. A golfer will attempt approximately 50-70 violent swings every five minutes or so while playing 18 holes. The average amateur will swing his club at 80-100 miles per hour. On the driving range, the pounding is rapid and relentless. Your patient will flail away at golf balls 60-100 times in a half hour, and often continue the assault for hours on end.
Chiropractors are the perfect choice to evaluate, educate, treat, condition and train golfers. In The Golf Biomechanics Manual, Paul Chek writes: "Amateur golfers achieve approximately 90 percent of their peak muscular activity when driving a golf ball. This is the same intensity as picking up a weight that can only be lifted four times before total fatigue. This level of exertion and muscular activation equates golf with such sports as football, hockey and martial arts. The difference is that other athletes outside of golf include conditioning as an integral part of their preparation before play." Very few golfers attempt any conditioning at all. Is it any wonder there are so many golf related injuries?
The golf swing requires the spine to rotate, bend laterally and extend. This requires flexibility that is golf-specific. You will learn a golf-specific examination procedure to identify potential problem areas for your patient. Once identified, you will learn the appropriate correction sequences. Chiropractors have extensive training in the biomechanics of human movement. Whether you play golf or not, this series will assist you in identifying the cause of a patient complaint or condition, then treat it. You will learn appropriate clinical examination techniques and essential treatment protocol.
This is neuromuscular re-education and fitness and conditioning for golf, not a program of golf instruction. You are not competing with the local PGA teaching professional, but you will learn to work along with the golf pro to the benefit of your patients. It is leading-edge management for golf-related pain and injury. You will be able to position yourself as an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of golf injuries. The result is that the PGA teaching professionals will seek your help with their students who have pain stemming from postural dysfunction and poor flexibility. Read the Full Article on DynamicChiropractic.com