Being a chiropractic patient has helped me immensely…seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to Chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.
This is a quote from the world’s best golfer, Tiger Woods, who has been utilizing chiropractic care since childhood. You can bet that Tiger’s parents didn’t take him to the chiropractor as a child because of back pain. Rather, they wanted to give their son every advantage possible over the competition and do all they could to help improve his performance. Tiger has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to golf and athletic performance. These days, the vast majority of PGA touring professionals are seeing doctors of chiropractic on a regular basis. And at every stop on the PGA tour you will find chiropractors working with these great golfers to not only facilitate recovery and prevent injury, but to improve how their body functions in order to shoot the lowest scores possible.
The great news is that you do not need to be a professional golfer to reap the benefits of chiropractic care.
I have had the opportunity to work with golfers at every level, from PGA teaching professionals and those aspiring to be on tour, to first time golfers. In fact, regular chiropractic adjustments will probably benefit the weekend golfer even more than the professional. The reason is that the professional is surrounded by a team of people: chiropractors, physical therapists, personal trainers, massage therapist, nutritionist, psychologists, and swing coaches, to name a few. Unless you have unlimited financial resources and unlimited time you will need to choose the one professional that will help your body the most and not take up all of your free time. Chiropractic fits this bill perfectly.
Most weekend golfers are not finely tuned world class athletes. So the risk of injury from a repetitive, one-sided motion such as the golf swing is greater in the weekend warrior population. This repetitive torqueing of the spine, particularly in a population with underdeveloped core muscles, puts tremendous stress and load on all the joints of the spine, especially the low-back. Chiropractors are experts in spinal motion and are highly trained at restoring proper joint function, reducing irritation to spinal nerves, decreasing pain, and reducing the chance of further injury. Not to mention, these repetitive injuries lead to improper swing mechanics and higher scores. If not treated promptly, repetitive motion injuries cause more serious problems such as chronic arthritis and joint destruction, tendonitis and scar tissue adhesions, as well as bulging or herniated disk, and nerve damage.
In addition to recovering from and preventing injury, chiropractic is the #1 choice for improving body function and overall health.
When the joints of the spine lose proper function, adjacent nerves can become irritated and subject to tension and inflammation. These nerves carry vital messages from the brain to all parts of the body including all of the organs and muscles. When these spinal nerves are disturbed due to joint dysfunction it can lead to dysfunction in all areas of the body. For the golfer this means improper muscle sequencing, which is critical to a proper golf swing. If muscles are not firing in the correct order during your golf swing it will become virtually impossible for you to reach your full potential. Your swing instructor can dial in exactly what you need to work on during the swing and what drills to practice, but if your body is not able to execute in the proper sequence, all the time and money you spend on lessons could go to waste. This is why most PGA golfers use chiropractic for not just pain and injury management, but for optimal body performance.
In conclusion, at whatever level of golf you enjoy, chiropractic is an essential component to get the most enjoyment out of the game. Next time pain sets in, don’t just reach for the pain pills and anti-inflammatories which only mask the real problem and lead to further injury and potential dangerous side effects associated with long- term use. Consult a doctor of chiropractic to address the underlying cause of the problem, improve how your body functions from the inside out, and take your game to the next level.