Does pain distract you while playing golf?
Do you feel unbalanced during and after your swing?
At Steele Creek Physical Therapy & Balance Center, our Physical Therapists will perform a comprehensive evaluation to determine how we can help relieve your pain and return you to enjoying the game of golf.
First, your physical therapist will speak with you to determine where your pain is located, how it is exacerbated (golf and other activities) and relieved, and what your goals are.
Second, your physical therapist will perform a complete biomechanical evaluation to determine what physical limitations are leading to your pain. These limitations include muscle weakness and/or tightness, joint tightness and/or excessive mobility, impaired balance, and fatigue. Please read the following case study as an example.
Patient was a 40 year old male with complaints of the inability to golf more than 9 holes due to localized low back pain. Upon evaluation it was found he had weak abdominal muscles, limited spinal rotation, hip weakness, and hip tightness.
From a biomechanical perspective: weak abdominals caused increased stress on the ligaments and disc tissue at the end of his follow through leading to tissue break down and pain. Further, hip tightness increased stress on his back by forcing the back to rotate more than normal leading to pain. The weak hip muscles (which when weak will result in impaired spine stability) did not allow sufficient stability during the swing resulting in over activation of back muscles and injury.
Treatment focused on decreasing abnormal and painful influences on his lower back. His treatment plan consisted of attending physical therapy 3 times per week for 4 weeks which included stretching specific muscles in his back and hips, as well as strengthening his core abdominals, back muscles, and specific hip muscles.
Exercises were prescribed according to his impairments [patients
are prescribed exercises and stretches according to his/her biomechanical problems; thus, one person’s exercises will be different than another’s] After 4 weeks he was able to play a full 18 holes of golf without pain. Of course, after discharge he was instructed to continue to exercise to maintain gains and allow continued pain-free golf.
Every patient at Steele Creek Physical Therapy & Balance Center will have an individualized treatment plan from the patient’s goals as well as from the objective data gathered during the evaluation to result in optimal recovery and return to golf. We have helped many people return to golf without pain or limitation.
Call us at 704.504.2194 for an appointment and be on your way to enjoying golf again.