How Does Chiropractic Keep Golfers Out Of Pain?
Does your back tighten up during a round of golf? Are you having trouble rotating throughout your whole swing because of pain and tightness in your body? Well, believe it or not, this could be related to a result of sitting at a desk for a long period of time or different postures that everyday life puts us in. According to Dr. Tom LaFountain, Director of Chiropractic Services for the PGA Tour, 80% of injuries suffered through golfing are back related. Sitting all day at work can be detrimental to our bodies for a number of reasons. It can cause muscles to become weak and not used when we need them. It can also cause muscles to work too much and become injured.
This phenomenon is called Upper Cross and Lower Cross Syndrome (UCS/LCS). UCS and LCS occur when a muscle is contracted for an extended period of time and causes weakening of the muscles on the opposite side of the body.
These syndromes can lead to flaws in your golf game, such as C-Posture and S-Posture
“Dr. Van Biezen is an important member of my team, and thanks to his care, my all-time dream of winning the Masters Tournament has become a reality.”
– Jordan Speith on his chiropractor
WATCH these videos on how to prevent or relieve Upper and Lower Cross Symptoms:
Upper Cross Syndrome Stretches
Lower Cross Syndrome Stretches
How does Chiropractic approach these problems?
In our office, we talk to our patients about micro-traumas. These are day-to-day things that can cause shifts in our spines. For example, sitting at work for hours upon hours every week cause what we like to call fixations or subluxations. Simply put, this is when a bone is out of its normal place, putting pressure on nerves causing pain and loss of function.
Now when the spine shifts or gets fixated, our bodies will compensate for the lack of movement around the area that’s not moving properly. This causes muscle imbalances leading to the syndromes mentioned above.
Getting regular chiropractic care can fix the cause of these syndromes, allowing us to perform all of the necessary movements needed to swing a golf club. We use a 3 phase approach to treat these problems!
- Phase 1 is all about pain control. We aim to get you out of your pain as quickly as possible.
- Phase 2 is continuing the pain control, but adding stretches and strengthening exercises focusing on the injured area(s). This helps hold the adjustments longer and helps minimize the symptoms that UCS and LCS are causing.
- Phase 3 is a wellness phase. Like a car needs an oil change every so often, your spine needs a tune-up as well! Time and Gravity are always exerting their forces upon us and we constantly face different stressors in life, so it’s good to come in for a tune-up!
WATCH these great videos from my friend and mentor, Dr. Jason Hamed, on HOW TO PROPERLY WARM UP BEFORE GOLFING:
If you are self-treating yourself using these stretches and nothing seems to be loosening up or feeling better, schedule an appointment with Dr. Rassi! He will find the cause of your pain/dysfunction and treat it accordingly!
