Golf Injuries and Prevention

Tiger Woods knows by now that he took himself out of the last tournament he played in due to neck pain. To the average golfer, this may seem like an excuse for playing poorly, but professional golfers spend countless hours on the driving range and putting greens. They have to stand over the ball with head extended downward and then torque the neck upwards as they strike the ball. Doing this about 500 times per day on a regular basis places undue stress on the neck muscles, ligaments and cervical disks. You may also recall that Tiger did claim that he strained his neck in his infamous car accident, and he may not have fully recovered from that incident by the time he began practicing for the Masters. All Golfers should have access to a physical therapist who can assess their physical abilities and provide individualized training programs.

A golfer will extend his neck forward as he stands over the golf ball, causing the "C" shaped curve in the neck to decrease. This is also called loss of cervical lordosis, and this position can increase the stress placed on the muscles, ligaments and disks in and around the neck, and be a cause of cervical pain.

Each pair of vertebrae in the neck has two facet joints which allow for motion between them. Nerve roots extend from between the facets. Pain occurs when the facets grind together. Osteophytes, or bone spurs which are degenerative, can develop and encroach on the nerves.

The usual therapy for neck strains is heat from a hot pad or even a hot shower. Anti-inflammatories are prescribed and the patient is advised to avoid the activity that produces the pain and to use an orthopedic pillow to keep the curve in the cervical spine in the proper position to alleviate the pain.

Stretching exercises that allow the head to hang forward with some pressure applied for about 10 seconds, and turning the head and holding the stretch for about six seconds are recommended. There are strengthening exercises one can do by placing your hand or hands on either side of your head and holding the contraction for several seconds. There are variations to these procedures.

Any golfer should be aware of the stresses the game places on certain muscles, and would do well to properly warm up and take proper action in the event pain does result.