GOLF WELLNESS WITH
Spine health and mindfulness is the ‘backbone’ to a long enjoyable golf career
W
hen playing any sport, it is important to protect
Walk rather than ride if you can
your back, and that is especially true in golf.
Walk the course. Don’t use a golf cart if you can help it. In addition to burning more calories, exercise can help improve your back health. It takes hours to play a round of golf, and Dr. Bash says prolonged sitting can increase pressure on those discs. Your back can tighten while sitting. When you suddenly take a swing, it can cause injury.
Whether you are swinging a club, picking up a ball or carry-
ing your bag, you risk seriously injuring your back, says Dr. Jeffrey Bash, a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Middlesex Health who specializes in spine surgery. Tiger Woods is proof. The New York Times recently reported that the famous golfer has had five major back surgeries, including surgeries to repair herniated discs.
A herniated disc is a common, more serious golf injury — one
that can greatly impair your mobility. When you have a herniated disc, the discs that sit between the bones that support the spine (vertebra) bulges out of place because of a tear in the disc’s exterior layer. “In other words, the jelly ruptures out of the donut,” Dr. Bash says. The result can be painful, especially if the disc is near a nerve. Symptoms can include pain, numbness and weaknesses that can travel through your legs. This condition is known as sciatica from a slipped disc.
But just because you could potentially hurt your back playing
golf, doesn’t mean that you need to limit your time on the course. Dr. Bash says there are simple things you can do to lower your risk of injury and improve your overall health.
38 D ESTI N ATI ON G OL FE R
Consider how you carry your clubs Instead of slinging a heavy golf bag over one shoulder, opt for a lighter walking bag with straps, and wear it like a knapsack. This may mean only carrying 10 extra golf balls instead of 30. You may also opt to leave your less used clubs in the car. By wearing the bag like a knapsack, you evenly distribute the weight and use both shoulders. For an even better option, buy a push cart or walking cart. In Europe and in Australasia, carts (or trolleys as they call them there) have been more prominent for decades than they are here at home. The globe sees golf as more exercise than sport for the casual amateur. We can learn from the trail they have blazed — by walking and using carts rather than a motorized cart.
Let a pro help select the right clubs — length and weight count Get fitted by a professional. Your golf clubs should be the correct length. Otherwise, you risk injuring your back. The wrong set of clubs is no different that using a bowling ball that’s too heavy or wearing the wrong size shoes to compete or play in. Proper fitting and club choices are the new norm and can make all the difference.
