Almost every golfer will respond that their swing is the most crucial component of their game. You spend countless hours trying to perfect your swing, and then, just as you’re getting there, you get hurt. What should you do now? I can help you with that, though. The Graston Technique is a well-researched therapy that is frequently employed by professional golfers on the PGA Tour.
Then what exactly is the Graston Technique? An instrument-assisted soft tissue release technique is the Graston Technique. It consists of six unique stainless steel tools that are used to move over the skin and muscle.
The equipment is able to identify and remove muscle adhesions, painful tight muscles, and scar tissue from recent or old injuries. It has been shown to be successful in treating common golf injuries like low back pain, elbow pain/golfer’s elbow, shoulder pain, and knee pain.
I continue to support Graston because I have personally experienced the results. Long before I started working as a chiropractor, I learned about Graston. Playing football caused me to tear my ACL, MCL, and meniscus. I went to physical therapy after the operation but didn’t see the exact results I wanted. I yearned to resume my previous level of unrestricted activity. After that, the Graston technique was taught to me, which sped up my recovery. After a month, I was jogging and taking running steps after significantly extending my range of motion. This is why I feel so confident about combining Graston with chiropractic treatment in my practice.
So, how do these tools work to relieve pain and stiffness in the muscles? We cause micro trauma to the problem area by repeatedly running the instruments over it. An instantaneous inflammatory response and subsequent increase in blood flow to that area occur in the wake of micro trauma. Most of the time, when you hear the words “trauma” or “inflammation,” you think of something bad. But the Graston Technique’s central notion is just that. The body’s natural healing response is triggered when microtrauma is induced because it causes an increase in inflammation and blood flow to the affected area.
Golf is a physically demanding sport, especially on your joints, despite not involving any contact. For golf-related injuries, the Graston Technique in conjunction with chiropractic adjustments has shown to be very effective. Let’s first examine the biomechanics of a swing and how we can improve it.
Most golfers are unaware of the true complexity of a golf swing. The body needs to move through 23 different ranges of motion in order to swing a golf club effectively. Consider it as a chain reaction. One injury can cause the entire swing to malfunction because there are so many moving parts.
When we consider typical golf-related injuries, we mainly pay attention to low back pain, knee, hip, shoulder, and elbow/forearm pain. The most frequent injury is low back pain. According to a recent study of PGA golfers, 33% of them experienced low back pain that persisted for longer than two weeks.
Low back pain is a common problem among golfers because of how vulnerable it is to tremendous amounts of torque and pressure during the swing. All of your weight will be dispersed onto your left front leg at impact if you play golf right-handed. Your swing will be altered if your left front leg sustains any damage, and you’ll start to favor it. In this situation, your right leg, specifically the knee, ankle, and hip, are more susceptible to overuse injuries. For left-handed golfers, the situation is exactly the opposite, but otherwise identical. A study on the biomechanics of the golf swing revealed that enhancing the lumbar spine’s and the lead hip’s (the left hip for right-handed golfers and the right hip for left-handed golfers) range of motion may reduce the risk of low back pain. This notion of enhancing range of motion forms the foundation of our treatment.
Medial epicondylitis, more aptly known as golfer’s elbow, is another common injury associated with the game of golf. Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury that irritates the tendons on the inside of the elbow. What then can happen if you experience elbow pain in the middle of a round? Your body will adjust to the pain, as was already mentioned, and another joint will suffer. When you have elbow pain, your shoulder, wrist, or forearm will probably take the brunt of it. Any of these joints that are overused can develop arthritis or other more severe conditions like tendonitis. Although we approach the treatment of golfers elbow and low back pain slightly differently, the general concept is the same. The elbow and forearm are treated with the Graston Technique, which is followed by passive treatments like cold laser therapy, ultrasound, and electric muscle stimulation. Then, you’ll perform and take home some range-of-motion exercises.
The treatment for common golf injuries has been very successful, but we are aware that every patient responds to therapy differently. We work hard to create an individualized treatment plan for each patient that meets their needs. To assist in achieving optimum wellness, we adhere to a fundamental protocol with each patient. We start the healing process by addressing joint dysfunction as well as muscle pain and stiffness. After removing the pain and inflammation that are causing your acute phase, we continue to address your muscle stiffness while concentrating on your range of motion. Graston and chiropractic adjustments will be the focus of this phase. The range of motion will be improved with each treatment. Our final goal is to stabilize the area. Along with sending you home with a set of exercises to complete on your own time, we also perform strengthening exercises in the office. These strengthening exercises are made specifically to mimic the movements involved in a typical golf swing.