Getting Back To Golf After Injury Or Surgery

Getting back on the golf course after a golf injury or surgery can be a daunting task. But with some time and patience, you’ll get back on the course and attain your normal golf swing in no time. We’re here to help get you back in the game as safely and quickly as possible.

If you have just suffered from a golf-related injury or are recovering from surgery, there are many forms of treatment that can help you recover faster and put you back on the green as soon as possible.

Outlining Your Goals

“Slow and Steady Wins The Race“

Before you begin any kind of physical therapy program, make sure that you outline your goals for yourself. 

• What is it that you hope to gain from golfing again? 
• Do you want to play in a tournament? 
• Get back to your old game? 
• Start all over? 

You need to know exactly what it is that you hope to achieve so that your physical therapist can help mold a program specifically for your needs and desired outcome.

Starting Easy

If you are coming back after an injury or surgery, start slow.

Don’t try to pick up your old game and swing with all of the same speed and power that you used to have. You need to build up your strength again. Start out slow and progress slowly. Remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint!

Healing From A Golf Surgery

If you’re a golfer who has had a surgical procedure on your hand, elbow, or shoulder and you’d like to get back to playing golf, we will give you some tips for building up your strength and flexibility prior to teeing it up again. So keep on reading!

Knowing Your Limits

During physical therapy, be sure to know your limits so that you don’t injure yourself while trying to rush back into regular play too soon.

What You Can Do To Speed Up Your Recovery

Set A Realistic Goal For Your Golf Comeback 

The most important thing to keep in mind when coming back from injury is to take it easy and not rush it. Avoid doing anything that causes you pain or is uncomfortable.

Focus your workout on the areas that need the least amount of movement so that you’re working around your injury, not overworking it. This will help speed up your recovery time and get you back in the game sooner rather than later.

Get Back To A Normal Diet

It’s very important to eat a healthy diet while recovering from a golf injury or surgery. A balanced diet filled with different vitamins, minerals, and nutrients is necessary for healing and can help you get better faster by getting all of the nutrition your body needs. 

Get A Good Night’s Sleep

Resting is a vital part of getting back on the course. Getting a good night’s sleep will help you recover faster, so try to go to bed at the same time every night.

Wear Appropriate Clothes

Golfers often have trouble swinging without proper clothing because loose or baggy clothes may get caught in the golf club during play.

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Things You Can Do At Home To Better Prepare Yourself

According to an article published on PubMed.com, “a good golf swing is part of a golf rehabilitation treatment of individuals with golf injuries or physically challenged persons desiring to play golf.” So that being said, it is best to work on your golf swing before going back to the golf course. 

Here are some tips to help you get started:

Use A Golf Swing Trainer

A golf swing trainer is designed to help limit the range of motion of your wrist and forearm during the backswing. This will help limit any pain you may be experiencing but still allow you to practice properly and get back into the swing of things.

Get A Golf Swing Analyzer

You should always have a golf swing evaluation before making adjustments or getting treatment for a specific injury. This can help determine where your problem might be coming from so you can get it treated and get back to full swing. 

Start slow, Ease back in. 

It’s so important to start slow when coming back from injury or surgery because you don’t want to risk worsening any of the pain, discomfort, or other symptoms you may have been experiencing before your procedure. By taking it slow, you give yourself the chance to fully heal so that you can return to your old game as quickly as possible without any problems.

Use Ice

You should try using cold therapy on any injured areas of your body at least two times a day-ice doesn’t just reduce swelling; it also reduces pain and promotes healing. 

Use A Compression Sleeve

Compression sleeves are especially helpful for any arm injuries you may have because they will keep the blood flowing to your arm and help prevent swelling.

Use A Golf Swing Practice Net

A golf swing practice net allows you to carefully practice your swings without having to worry about injuring yourself or others, so it’s a great way to ease back into swinging after an injury.

Continue Physical Therapy

While you’re getting back into golf shape, you should also make it a point to continue with your regular physical therapy. This will greatly help speed up the healing process and get you back to full swing sooner than later.

If you want to get some advice from a professional physical therapist, this video is for you

Always Listen To Your Doctor

Golf injuries can be serious, so it’s always wise to give yourself time to heal before you try playing again. If you don’t, you’ll be at risk for re-injury or even permanent disability. If an injury is severe enough to require surgery, it will take several weeks of rest before it has healed enough for physical activity like golfing. 

The length of time you should give yourself to recover depends on the nature of the injury and how long it takes your body to heal naturally from similar injuries in the past. 

For example, you might feel ready to play after two weeks if you’ve had a bone chip removed from your elbow before. On the other hand, if you have a long history of back pain that flares up after golfing, it may take six months to recover this time. 

It’s important to let your doctor know how much time you expect to need before resuming activity. If your doctor disagrees with the schedule that you’ve set, then he or she may call for longer recovery time or even recommend that you stick with therapeutic exercises for golfers instead of resuming actual play on the course.

At the end of the day, your doctor is the one who knows what’s best for your injury. If you’re having trouble walking, try to avoid putting too much pressure on that leg. 

Final Thoughts

For pain that runs down your arm during a swing, you may want to consider taking a few days off from swinging altogether until you feel better. Most importantly, always remember to listen to your body and follow all of your doctor’s orders so that you can get back into the swing of things as quickly as possible without any further complications.

Maintaining form is crucial in preventing injury when playing golf. Incorrect swings can often lead to injuries such as tendonitis or muscle strains which then require physical therapy care.

Only time can tell when your injury will heal. Healing times vary depending on the severity of the injury. The best way to prevent re-injury is to follow your physical therapist’s instructions and stay physically active.

Learning how to overcome obstacles as it comes along can be achieved by keeping an open mind and being optimistic about the whole process. You have to concentrate on getting finished with tasks ahead of you so that your mind will be free from any distractions.

Read more about the importance of golf rehabilitation here.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What does the term “golfer’s elbow” refer to? 

Golfers elbow is an overuse type condition brought about by repeated flexing of the forearm muscles at the elbow joint where these muscles attach to bones in this region of the arm.

2. What are the major joints involved in a golf swing? 

Golf swing biomechanics focuses primarily on three major joints: the pelvis, spine, and shoulder complex.

The pelvis and spine transmit power from the body to arms and legs during a swing, while the shoulder complex provides mobility for the upper arm to apply force across the chest (in the frontal plane) or down through the ground (in the sagittal plane), which are key swing components.

3. What type of golf injuries require surgery?

Most golf injuries can be treated successfully without surgery. However, serious fractures with significant displacement of the bone ends may require surgical intervention to restore joint function.

With any injury, the severity of the injury, as well as your age and activity level, will be taken into consideration when deciding on an appropriate treatment plan.

4. Can physical therapy help treat a wrist injury? 

Typically wrist pain is caused by either overuse or direct trauma to a bone or joint. Overuse injuries can be treated with therapeutic exercises, while direct trauma injuries may require surgery depending on the extent of damage to the bone or joint surfaces involved.

5. Which type of golfer is more prone to golf injuries?

Golfers generally fall into two groups: those who play recreationally and those who play competitively. Both groups can experience injury, but competitive golfers are at risk of sustaining more serious injuries because they often practice more often and put in more hours on the course. 

Recreational golfers usually have less experience swinging the club, which means that they’re not as likely to push themselves beyond their limits.

But even recreational golfers can sustain injuries while playing the game. Contact with other players, falling into a hazard, swinging the club too vigorously, or overdoing the practice sessions are all common causes.