Do I have to stop playing golf if I have a new injury?
A common question I get from my clients who play golf is…. If I get injured, do I have to stop playing? That is actually a very good question and I usually respond by saying …” Stopping is not the answer”. However, we must give your injury enough respect to heal. When I say “respect” I am talking about not ignoring the injury but at the same time playing golf in a way that promotes healing. A good way to start is reducing golf by 30%. Once you can play without pain at 30 %, try increasing to 50%, then 75% until you are playing at 100% with no issues.
Consider this when we move and exercise a lot of good things happen. Tight muscles are stretched, weak muscles are strengthened and there is an increase in blood circulation to our muscles and joints. I am going to suggest that to stop playing golf may extend the time of full recovery. However, we still must consider the fact that we have an injury, and we must modify our golf game so that we continue to promote healing and move us to a normal, pain-free life. So, I say reduce your golf by 30 % of your normal game.
Here are some ways you can reduce your golf game to 30 % so to help get over your injury.
Duration
Duration or the length of play. I know there is nothing like a full day on the peaceful green, but this maybe a good start to help your overcome your injury. 18 holes may put you back a bit with your pain, so consider working on your short game at a par 3 coarse or just hold off on the back nine all together. Either one is a good idea, when giving your injury some respect to heal and reducing your duration.
Frequency
Reduce frequency of your game. If you love to play often during the week perhaps, we could start here. A high frequency golfer may play 4-5 days per week and reducing 1-2 x per week will give some benefit to the injury and extra recovery time.
A decrease in intensity is a good option for golfers with injuries who play at tough courses that cover lots of distance; or perhaps a course with lots of hills and slopes. A good alternative is a short par 3 course or playing on flatter greens. A combination of the two will put less stress on the injury.
With reduction in your golf game, this may free up some of your time allowing you to focus on your injury. Consider, finding a Doctor in Physical Therapy that specializes in helping golfers. At Optimum Physio Therapies, our clients know exactly what to do before starting a game of golf and they know what to do after playing as well. They also have a personalized routine that specifically address problem areas with the injury so that they recover as fast as possible and get back to playing golf 100% pain free.
If you want further guidance, information, or a free screen to get more direction on recovery and get back to normal, visit us at optimumphysiotherapies.com or call to schedule an in-person or online free assessment.