My father has become an avid golfer. He plays every Tuesday — and then comes to see me, suffering from back and joint pain.

When I ask him if he warmed up before playing, he demonstrates his stretching routine by whipping his upper body back and forth. Clearly, this routine isn’t working.

Golfers exert a huge amount of effort, repetitively pounding on specific joints (usually on one side of the body). Among other ailments, this can lead to “golfer’s elbow.”

Warming up your joints is essential. Slow stretching lubricates the joints and warms the muscles surrounding them, to prevent tearing of ligaments, tendons, and other soft tissues.

To prevent injury, golfers should do exercises to strengthen the muscles supporting the joints used in golfing. That means they should do exercises to strengthen their shoulders, arms, wrists, legs, knees, ankles, abdominals and low back.

Many of our clients are golfers who compete in weekend tournaments without any preparation — and then wonder why, at the end of two grueling days, they are so sore they can barely move.

Golfers should straighten up, too. Good posture is key to achieving a great golf swing, and it is important to spinal health.

Golf also requires spinal flexibility, so try some yoga. You might be surprised at the improvements they bring to your game.

And if you still have pain after you play, visit a chiropractor. Chiropractors have extensive training in the biomechanics of human movement, so if after playing you feel pain in specific joints or muscles, you probably need those joints adjusted.

People don’t normally think of chiropractic for elbows and knees, but chiropractic is very effective in mobilizing smaller joints and relieving pain.

Your chiropractor can not only treat those repetitive stress injuries but can possibly redirect your swing pattern, improving your game while getting you out of pain.

Monica S. Nowak, DC
The Chiropractic Center of Canaan
Monica Nowak, DC and Peter Markowicz, DC
176 Ashley Falls Road
Canaan, CT 06018
860-824-0748