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 Neither do I. The days of winding up like a rubber band and unleashing a powerful slash are distant memories. Now, my middle-aged swing produces a series of pops, creaks and groans. Like an old car wheezing to start, I put my foot on the pedal and hope the car accelerates. “Sitting in an office doesn’t allow your joints to be lubricated, and your muscles become fatigued,” said Dr. Dianne Donahue, a chiropractor with more than 15 years of experience eliminating pain. “The repetitive stress of sitting like that all day makes the upper body weak. You definitely aren’t conditioned to go out and compete in a sport.” Which means weekend warriors are much more likely to injure themselves and hobble into the office on Monday than create a SportsCenter highlight. I’ve been playing golf for 30 years, and while I’m not in the best shape of my life, I’m far from a sloth. I’m still active and stretch almost every day. That said, golf provides a physical beating on my body like no other. The day after making 40-50 swings on the course, I feel like I’ve been clubbed by an angry mob. “Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you are doing something wrong,” Donahue said. “Back pain is the number one injury you see from golfers. It’s mostly in the lower back from the torsion and rotation. The golf swing is not a natural motion.” Golf injuries aren’t limited to the back. Wrists and elbows are subject to tendinitis and carpel tunnel syndrome from the repetitive motion and pounding of the turf with the clubhead. There also are tiny bones in the wrist that can get forced out of position, resulting in pain and numbness in the hands. The hips also receive their fair share of abuse while swinging a club. “During the swing, you move your entire pelvis and your hip rotates in the pelvic girdle,” Donahue said. “Over time, you are going to develop abnormal wear and tear, and the joint space will decrease. You can develop bone spurs, which form as the body tries to repair itself by building extra bone as a result of pressure, rubbing or stress that continues over a long period of time.” I’m beginning to think that golf was just an elaborate torture device concocted by a masochistic shepherd wandering the plains of Scotland. “People get injured when they don’t warm up properly or they overdo it,” Donahue said. “Exercise, good mechanics and proper equipment can fix some of these issues. If you want to feel better after playing golf, strengthen your core. That will help lessen the chance of injury to the back.” Donahue also stresses the importance of balance. “For every 10 swings you take, reverse it and take several swings from the opposite side,” she said. “If you keep doing the same motion the same way, it will have an effect on your body.” So with each swing I’m risking sheared back ligaments, a subluxated vertebrae, tendinitis and a possible hip replacement? There’s obviously something painfully addicting about the game that keeps us coming back. See you on the tee. |
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