If you are an avid golfer, you probably rejoiced on hearing that golf courses would soon reopen. During Singapore’s Circuit Breaker, there was a good chance you had been sitting long hours on the sofa watching television re-runs of previous golfing Majors. In anticipation of hitting the fairways again yourselves, it is vital to ensure your spine is aligned, so that you can be playing at your best while staying injury-free. Here is how chiropractic can potentially help you get back into the swing of things.
Golfers that have benefited from chiropractic care
The list is long but to name a few:
- Jordan Spieth (three-time major winner) – “Dr. Van Biezen (Doctor of Chiropractic) is an important member of my team, and thanks to his care, my all-time dream of winning the Masters Tournament has become a reality.”
- Notah Ryan Begay III (four-time PGA tour Champion) – “Chiropractic care has been an instrumental component of my sports performance and preventive health strategy.”
- Tiger Woods (eleven-time PGA Player of the Year) – “I’ve been going to a chiropractor for as long as I can remember. It is as important to my training as the practice of my swing.”
Can recreational golfers also potentially benefit?
Absolutely! Gentle and chiropractic care can potentially be done on the vast majority of athletes, including professionals and especially “weekend warriors”. After all, everyone has a spine.
What kind of injuries can golfers potentially suffer?
Golf can often be a strenuous sport, as a lot of force and torque is exerted on multiple joints during each swing. As such, we have taken care of golfers that have had misalignments in the neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, low back, and even in the knees. Having taken care of golfer patients and also with our own personal golfing experience, we can identify with several imbalances inherent in the sport’s mechanics: the starting stance involves one shoulder raised higher than the other, and the stroke is only in one direction. Moreover, varying degrees of muscle strains and sprains can also be exacerbated by existing spinal misalignments. Last but not least, golfers’ spines are uniquely subjected to a lot of rotational stresses at the lumbar spinal discs with each swing, which could predispose them to intervertebral disc issues ranging from minor mechanical inflammation to debilitating disc herniations or protrusions.
You may realize something is off with if there is musculoskeletal pain, or in more serious cases numbness or weakness. However, is the pain merely a symptom of some underlying root misalignment? The beginning stage of spinal misalignments often does not involve any pain, but if left unchecked, stresses can slowly and surely build up.
Why consider chiropractic care?
“Spieth has received chiropractic care since he was 14 to prevent injuries and optimize overall health and athletic performance.1” Chiropractic is a natural and non-invasive way of enhancing peak athletic performance, as well as to help the body better adapt to stresses on and off the golf course. It is a unique form of heath care that locates, analyzes, and checks spines for Vertebral Subluxations. Subluxations are bony misalignments that can put direct or indirect pressure on surrounding nerves. By removing nervous system interference, the two-way communication between the brain and the body is optimized, and the muscles can potentially fire better when driving or putting the club.
In addition, when the body is free of misalignments, we can rebound quicker from injuries, and potentially prevent injuries from occurring in the first place.
What kinds of chiropractic techniques are used for golfers?
At our clinic, there is no “popping, cracking, or twisting” of the spine. The vast majority of our adjustments are performed using the Arthrostim® adjusting tool, via the Koren Specific Technique2. This form of analysis allows our doctors to render gentle and specific adjustments to misalignments. The adjusting tool is gentle enough to be rendered on infants through seniors, giving patients and their family members a peace of mind. Most subluxations are found in the spine. However, our doctors are also trained to detect and adjust misalignments in extremities if needed in a variety of positions. Because the body is all connected, the area of dysfunction in one body part may actually be due to a misalignment somewhere else, so it is vital to get to the root cause of any issues instead of merely treating the symptom.
Getting back your swing
No matter what your golf handicap is, the key is to enjoy the game with a body that is functioning as optimally as possible. Schedule a chiropractic visit with us soon to correct any root causes of stresses or imbalances, to get you back into the swing of things. In the meantime, continue to stay safe, practice good personal hygiene, and take care of your spinal health.
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