Golfers are a unique breed in the sporting world. Think about this: along with baseball players, golfers are the only other athletes that make a violent, rotational swing while their feet stay firmly planted on the ground.

When the golf swing is performed correctly, major problems arise during deceleration. For a right-handed golfer, the follow-through of a swing puts major stress on the joints of the right shoulder. The collar bone also takes a beating. Since the latissimus dorsi muscles (in the upper and middle back) are very active in full rotation of the following through swing, it puts a tremendous amount of stress in the mid-back joints and tissue (the thoraco-lumber fascia).

Since the lumbar spine is deeply intertwined into the thoraco-lumbar fascia, chiropractic adjustments to that area allows those muscles to relax enough to release tension caused by repeated rotations.

In the deceleration of the golf swing, the head remains still until the force of the swing brings it up so the golfer is looking toward the target. This action compresses the right side of the neck and overstretches the left. Therefore, this causes rotational injuries to the neck.

The lower extremities are also involve. The left foot takes a pounding because it remains in the same place, while the entire weight of the body rotates around it at a tremendous speed. This stresses the left knee join and transfers the forces to the left hip joint. Oddly enough, the better the golfer, the more stress they put on the left leg.

Golfing is, without a doubt, a fun, competitive and social sport that provides a lot of benefit to the golfer. However, be aware of the numerous injuries this sport induces and see a chiropractor to assess the mechanics of your body for a better injury-free golf game.

If we can be of any assistance, contact us at 905-271-1161 (Monday through Saturday) for more information.