Neck Pain in Golfers
Neck pain may be incredibly frustrating to live with, especially when we want to enjoy our favourite sport: golfing. Neck pain may tighten the muscles around your neck and shoulders, making it harder to swing your club smoothly and impacting your game, all while causing you pain and discomfort. Fortunately, treatment options like remedial massage therapy may help to relieve tension and get you back into the swing of things.
But why does this pain develop in the first place, and how may remedial massage therapy potentially offer relief? In this article, we’ll explore why golfers develop neck pain and different methods that you may wish to try.
To understand how neck pain may be affecting your health and golfing performance, contact our team at 13th Beach Health Services today.
Potential causes of neck pain in golfers
Though seen as a leisure sport, golfing can still involve intense use of your muscles and skeletal system. Taking regular swings may put additional pressure on your body, potentially causing strain and tension to develop. However, there are several factors that may contribute to a golfer’s neck pain. These include:
1. Overuse
One study found that professional golfers, on average, perform up to 300 swings per practice. While this number will likely decrease significantly for casual golfers, you can clearly see how often golfers put their muscles through a workout. Overusing and straining your shoulder and neck muscles is incredibly common in golfers and may be one cause of neck pain.
2. Poor technique
Poor form may also significantly impact your body. Standing in the wrong position and swinging with an improper technique may put additional strain on your muscles, causing pain. The right golfing technique should be seamless.
3. Poor posture
Along with technique, your posture is also crucial. When golfing, people are often required to stand for long stretches of time and walk long distances. Poor posture may force your back and neck muscles to work harder to hold your body upright. This may cause neck pain and increase your chances of injury.
4. Weak muscles
If you work at a desk most of the time, your muscles may not be getting the exercise they need. Golfing may help you strengthen your body, but without careful guidance, you could end up strengthening one side and weakening the other.
This would result in an unbalanced musculoskeletal system, which tends to put a lot of pressure on one side of your body. These weakened or imbalanced muscles may cause pain and stiffness, and possibly even reduce your range of motion.
Tips for potentially preventing neck pain
Understanding the cause and making changes to address it is the best way to potentially prevent neck pain from developing. Here, we’ll outline a few tips you can follow in an effort to help protect your body against neck pain and tension.
1. A thorough warm-up
It is recommended that you take time to warm up before any physical activity, golfing included. Try to take 10 to 20 minutes before a game to stretch out your muscles. This may relieve tension and improve your flexibility so that you may be able to adjust to every swing more easily.
2. Adjust your technique
Try organising a session or two with a professional golfer. They aim to help assess your current technique and determine if you may need to make any adjustments. With their guidance, you may be able to reduce some of the pressure being placed on your body, potentially reducing your neck pain.
3. Work out
Working out more often may help strengthen your entire body, ensuring your muscles are well-balanced. This may help to improve your overall performance, reducing the strain you may be experiencing.
Neck pain treatments
If you’ve been experiencing neck pain for a while, it might be time to seek treatment. Here are just a few ways you may be able to address your neck pain:
1. Rest and heat packs
Resting allows your body the time it needs to recover. Applying heat or ice packs may help reduce inflammation, relieve tension, and manage pain. However, this does not necessarily treat the cause of your concerns.
2. Remedial massage
Remedial massage is a massage technique that aims to target the source of your concerns. By applying pressure to different muscle groups, a massage therapist may help to relieve tension, inflammation, pain, and stress. If you experience regular neck pain after or during golfing, consider remedial massage therapy as a potential way to help your body recover.
3. Golf biomechanical assessments
A golf biomechanical assessment aims to identify the cause of your concerns. During a golf swing screening, a professional will assess every aspect of your golfing technique. With this information, they will help develop a treatment plan as well as outline strategies you may wish to use to improve your performance and potentially reduce the risk of injuries.
Your neck pain in golfers questions answered
What signs indicate I need support?
If you golf regularly and you’ve noticed any aching or stiffness along your neck and shoulders, you should consider reaching out to a professional. Likewise, if you experience frequent injuries or sudden stabbing pains in your neck, you may need additional support.
Is remedial massage better than traditional massage?
Traditional massage may help to relieve tension and relax the body. However, remedial massage therapists use in-depth knowledge of the musculoskeletal system to potentially target the cause of your concerns.
How long will it take to recover?
How long it takes to recover depends on the severity of your condition. Strained or overused muscles often take between four and six weeks to feel better. More serious issues will likely take longer.
What should I do after finishing a game of golf?
After finishing a game of golf, you should take the time to rest. However, it’s also a good idea to complete cool-down stretches in an effort to help keep your body in good condition.
What exercises should I use to support my neck?
Chin tucks and neck holds are both great exercises you may wish to use to stretch out your neck muscles. Squeezing your shoulder blades back and together is also a good way of stretching out your shoulders and lower neck.
When stretching, make sure to hold the position for at least 10 to 20 seconds at a time.
Invest in your golf game at 13th Beach Health Services
Are you living with constant neck pain? Are tight shoulders affecting your golf swing? At 13th Beach Health Services in Barwon Heads, we are committed to making a difference in your health. With physiotherapy, remedial massage, and professional golf swing assessments, you may find what you need right here with us.