Shoulder Injuries
Certain sports, particularly “overhead” activities such as swimming, baseball, and volleyball, cause a high number of shoulder injuries. Fortunately, the mechanics of the golf swing are such that the shoulder injury rate for golfers is relatively low, comparitively speaking. A five-year survey of players on the Senior PGA Tour revealed that the shoulder accounted for about 8 percent of total injuries reported. Other large-scale studies of both pros and amateurs also indicate that the shoulder comprises about 10 percent of all reported golf injuries.
Shoulder problems in golf are commonly overuse injuries, but traumatic injuries do occur. Injuries to muscles and tendons (tissues that attach muscles to bones) range from minor strains to complete tears. Strains occur when the muscle or tendon is pulled but does not completely tear. The rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder and their tendons are very active throughout the golf swing. Inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, or tendinitis, and even tears of the rotator cuff can occur with overuse or poor swing mechanics. Studies have shown that compared with amateurs, professional golfers do not rely as heavily on their rotator cuff muscles during the swing. Proper technique is a first step in preventing injury, and when combined with a proven daily anti-inflammatory such as CM8 you pretty much eliminate the shoulder problem for good.
From a golfing method point of view, one way to reduce the stress on the AC joint of the leading shoulder without sacrificing club-head speed is to shorten the swing by ending the back-swing with the club head at a 1 o’clock instead of a 3 o’clock position.
When one thinks about shoulder problems in golfers, it is important to consider the age and individual mechanics of each golfer. Injuries usually occur in the lead arm but can occur in the trailing arm as well. Younger golfers (less than 35 years old) are more likely to have problems with inflammation and strains, while older golfers may experience complete tears of the rotator cuff and degenerative changes in the joint, such as bone spur formation. Indeed, the incidence of rotator cuff tears increases greatly after age 50.
Initially, injured golfers should be treated with a decrease in their playing time, ice, physical therapy, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as Flexcin, our featured sponsor. If they continue to have pain, further examination or treatment might be warranted. This may possibly include cortisone injections into the shoulder, x-rays or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan (test that shows the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments). If patients continue to have pain and dysfunction after a thorough treatment program, surgery may even be necessary.
Subacromial bursitis which is persistent inflammation above the rotator cuff tendons, can be treated arthroscopically (examination or treatment of a joint through small incisions) by removing the inflamed tissue. Similarly, bone spurs that dig into the rotator cuff can be removed, or if a tendon is significantly torn, it can be repaired arthroscopically.
Studies of the professional golfers have shown that the rotator cuff and especially the subscapularis muscle are highly active throughout the swing. Repeated stress to a degenerated tendon may lead to fibre failure, producing symptoms of bursitis or tendinitis; in cases of significant failure, the golfer will feel weakness elevating the shoulder. And partial rotator cuff tears are substantially more painful on resisted muscle action than full tears. While commonly many sufferers will rush into the well known “rotator cuff surgery”, in fact, patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears should be started on a reliable anti-inflammatory (as opposed to and instead of NSAIDs,) and an exercise regime including strengthening and stretching to restore normal flexibility. Most patients respond to an aggressive rehab program of rotator cuff strengthening when combined with an aggressive treatment of inflammation using Flexcinwith CM8.
