Healthy swing: a golf rehabilitation model.

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Rehabilitation Science
• Golf Performance Analysis

Background:

• Golf injuries are prevalent among amateur and professional players.
• Existing rehabilitation models may not adequately address the specific biomechanical demands of golf.
• A need exists for a comprehensive approach integrating medical, physical, and technical aspects of golf rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel multidisciplinary rehabilitation model for diagnosing and treating golf-related injuries.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this integrated approach in facilitating return to golf for injured athletes.
• To present a model applicable to both injured golfers and individuals with physical challenges seeking to play golf.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, descriptive study of a multidisciplinary golf rehabilitation program.
• Involved a physiatrist, physical therapist, and Professional Golf Association (PGA) golf professional.
• Evaluated 145 individuals treated between 1994 and 1997.

Main Results:

• Lower back injuries were most common, particularly in men (49%).
• Women experienced higher rates of shoulder (28%) and elbow (13%) injuries.
• Interventions included medical/surgical treatment (89%), physical rehabilitation (92%), and swing modification (83%).
• 98% of subjects returned to sports participation; all golf-injured individuals returned, with some achieving championship wins.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive, multidisciplinary model for golf injury evaluation and rehabilitation has been established.
• The team approach, including healthcare professionals and a golf teaching professional, facilitates recovery.
• This model shows promise in enhancing sports participation and outcomes for injured golfers.