Pro Golfers Use Chiropractors. Why You Should Too

Today, an estimated 30 million people play golf, and whether you’re Rory McIlroy or a weekend enthusiast at a local 18-hole course, painful distractions can be costly. The last thing anyone needs is a sharp pain in your back or shoulder when you’re lining up for a putt.

To circumvent this, 72% of golfers on tour, including Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, and David Duvall employ chiropractic practitioners to help keep their spines aligned and their shots on target.

Chiro and PGA Golfers

The PGA sponsors more than 50 events from January through Labor Day weekend each and every year. That’s plenty of chances for players to suffer an injury, particularly a back injury, due to the repetitive rotation and torque placed on the spine during thousands of golf swings.

Dr. Tom LaFountain, who has worked with the PGA since 1997, estimates 80 percent of golf injuries involve the lower back: “The most common area treated on the PGA Tour is the lower back. Data compiled by PSC (Professional Sports Care) revealed the following injury profile in 2007: 68 percent lower back, sacroiliac, lower thoracic; 19 percent cervical; 7 percent shoulder; and 6 percent wrist, forearm and hand.”

According to Padraig Harrington: “One thing I know through experience is that I need to keep seeing my chiropractor, even when I have a few weeks off from golf… Getting ongoing chiropractic care helps me to stay injury-free. It also helps me to deal with symptoms when they begin, so that they don’t turn into bigger injuries down the road.”

How Chiro Helps Golfers

Chiropractic adjustments improve posture, flexibility, decrease the risk of injury and allow for full range of motion. Now research published by the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine has confirmed what most pro golfers already know: regular chiropractic care can indeed improve your golf swing and, as a result, lead to improved overall performance of your play.

The study, performed by sports physicians in São Paulo, Brazil, involved 43 golfers of similar ages and golf handicaps who were randomly assigned to one of two groups. The control group was instructed to perform a daily regimen of specific stretches and warm-ups, while the experimental group received chiropractic adjustments in addition to the stretches and warm-ups.

Prior to treatment, the participants were asked to perform three full swing maneuvers, and measurements were made of the average distance they were able to drive the ball. The participants were tested again following their stretching or stretching/adjustment. This entire process was repeated over a period of four weeks.

In less than a month, the results were clear. The group that were only instructed in stretching and warm-ups saw no improvement. But the golfers who received chiropractic adjustments saw a statistically significant improvement in their performance.

With chiropractic care, you can relieve or stop back pain and increase your golf game.

Are You a pro Golfer Looking for a Chiropractor?

Most Pro golfers turn to chiropractic care as one of the best strategies for maintaining health on and off the course and achieving the best possible performance. If you are a golfer in Northwest Indiana looking for a local chiropractor, look no further than Dr. Paul A. Mandich at Progressive Wellness Center. 219-924-4456