Golfing injuries. An overview

Golf is becoming an increasingly available and popular sport. It is played by people of all ages and abilities, which accounts for a wide spectrum of injury. Few reports of injuries exist, but increasing media attention of the golfing injuries of professional players has raised the profile of these medical conditions. Numerically, the vast majority of problems occur from soft tissue musculoskeletal injuries rising principally from overuse. The injury pattern seen is influenced by the age, ability and amount of play. Anatomically, most injuries are localised to the back, wrist, elbow and shoulder. In addition to causing new injuries the game may cause recrudescence of old injuries and exacerbate pre-existing degenerative disease. A different injury pattern is seen among elite players compared with recreational players, and this relates to skill and amount of practice. Appropriate conditioning and attention to technique may help to reduce the incidence of injury. There are no injuries exclusive to golf, however fracture of the hamate bone is an uncommon injury seen in sports involving the use of a club or bat. The high number of childhood golf-related head injuries is disturbing. Most of these arise from blows to the head from a golf club and highlight the need for early tuition in the safety aspects of the game.