Swing Stronger: Driving Past Golf Injuries with TPI and Chiropractic Care

Author: Dr Conor Zyskowski, Chiropractor

Whether you’re just teeing off or a seasoned pro, this guide is for golf enthusiasts. I'm here to empower you with proactive strategies to enhance your golfing journey. Let's dive into how we can conquer common golf injuries, leverage the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), and harness chiropractic care to elevate your game.

Before we delve into improving your golf performance, let's first address the common golf injuries that can hinder your game and impact your overall well-being.

Tackling Common Golf Injuries:

Golf, often perceived as a leisurely pursuit, can surprisingly lead to a variety of injuries, with low back pain (LBP) ranking among the most prevalent for both amateurs and pros. Factors such as poor swing technique, insufficient hip and low back stabilisation, and trunk over-rotation during the swing, often contribute to LBP in amateur golfers, while overuse tends to affect professional players more (2). It's estimated that over half of golfers will experience a musculoskeletal injury during their golfing journey. The other most common golf injuries in amateur golfers are to the elbow and shoulder (particularly the lead elbow and shoulder), whilst professional golfers suffer more lead wrist injuries, and hand injuries (6).

 It is therefore vital for all golfers to take care of their bodies as proactive prevention standpoint in the form of strength & conditioning, and prevention-based training/care, but also when injured seeking out treatment and rehabilitation. It is also particularly important for amateur golfers, particularly beginners, to get a swing assessment from a PGA licenced coach to make sure that your swing isn’t predisposing you to injury. (5).

Assessment protocols, such as those crafted by the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), prove valuable in pinpointing areas that may be underperforming.

What is the Titleist Performance Institute? Why do I use it?

My dedication to golf has led me to obtain Level 1 & 2 medical certification from the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). TPI stands as the premier educational platform focused on understanding the human body's relationship with the golf swing. By educating practitioners on evidence-based physical assessments tailored to golfers, TPI equips us to identify and address underlying causes of pain and injury, thereby optimising treatment and rehabilitation strategies for enhanced performance and injury prevention.

 What can I expect from the screening process?

Your journey to peak performance starts with a comprehensive assessment, encompassing medical history, golfing experience, and your specific goals. This sets the stage for a tailored approach to address your needs, whether it's injury treatment, pain management, injury prevention, or functional optimization. The physical assessment delves into full-body and region-specific movements, pinpointing any limitations impacting your swing. Should discomfort arise during testing, we delve deeper into biomechanical assessments to uncover underlying issues.

Unlocking the Power of Chiropractic Care

With advancements like TPI assessments, healthcare practitioners are better equipped to support golfers. Incorporating manual and active treatments into your routine can significantly enhance your performance.

Chiropractic care, encompassing spinal manipulation, soft tissue techniques, and rehabilitation exercises, has been proven to enhance flexibility, balance, and overall movement quality (7). Particularly noteworthy is its efficacy in alleviating chronic lower back pain, a common affliction among golfers, in both a pain relief and improvement of functional status (1). By addressing musculoskeletal imbalances (4) and enhancing proprioceptive feedback to the brain (3) - the body's ability to perceive its position and movement - chiropractic care not only treats injuries but also serves as a proactive measure against future ones.

Summary

 I trust this guide has shed light on prevalent golf injuries, the invaluable role of the Titleist Performance Institute, and the potential of chiropractic care to elevate your golfing experience. As you pursue your passion for golf, remember to invest in both your game and your well-being. With proactive measures and expert guidance, you'll be well on your way to achieving your goals on and off the course.
 

References

(1) de Zoete, A. et al. (2021) ‘The effect of spinal manipulative therapy on pain relief and function in patients with chronic low back pain: An individual participant data meta-analysis’, Physiotherapy, 112, pp. 121–134. doi:10.1016/j.physio.2021.03.006.

(2) Edwards, N., Dickin, C. and Wang, H. (2020) ‘Low back pain and golf: A review of Biomechanical Risk Factors’, Sports Medicine and Health Science, 2(1), pp. 10–18. doi:10.1016/j.smhs.2020.03.002.

(3) Holt, K. et al. (2021) ‘The effects of 4 weeks of chiropractic spinal adjustments on motor function in people with stroke: A randomized controlled trial’, Brain Sciences, 11(6), p. 676. doi:10.3390/brainsci11060676.

(4) Thiele, R. (2019) ‘Chiropractic Treatment in Sports: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials ’, International Journal of Clinical Medicine Research, 6(2), pp. 6–12.

(5) Thomas, Z.M. and Wilk, K.E. (2023) ‘The golfer’s fore, fore +, and Advanced Fore + Exercise Program: An exercise series and injury prevention program for the golfer’, International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 18(3). doi:10.26603/001c.74973.

(6) Williamson, T. et al. (2024) ‘548 bo40 – the epidemiology of musculoskeletal injury in professional and amateur golfers: A systematic review and meta-analysis’, Brief Oral Abstracts [Preprint]. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2024-ioc.115.

(7) Zhang, Q. et al. (2020) ‘The immediate effects of self‐myofacial release on flexibility, jump performance and Dynamic Balance Ability’, Journal of Human Kinetics, 75(1), pp. 139–148. doi:10.2478/hukin-2020-0043.