Painless Golf

We can't take the hook out of your swing, but our
experts can ease the pain in your elbow or shoulder.

AMANDA KROTKI SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

r. Larry Becker
should know about
golf and the in-
juries it can bring.
Not only is Dr. Becker an
orthopedic surgeon, but
he's a golf enthusiast
himself The sport is not
particularly hard on your
body and there are rela-
tively few injuries associ-
ated with it, he says.
"If there were acci-
dents, they would come
from golf carts crashing
into traps or falling into
streams," he says of seri-
ous golf-related injuries.
Still, that doesn't mean
you shouldn't take pre-
cautions. It is important
to warm up with stretch-
es before you take that
first swing. You don't
have to start exercising
far in advance. Even dri-
ving to the golf course your first
day on the links, squeezing a
sponge ball can help prevent the
dreaded "golfer's elbow."
The experts are unanimous.
Improper warm-up and poor
form are the main causes of the
four most common golf-injury
complaints. They are: muscle
aches, rotator cuff tendinitis
(commonly known as shoulder
strain), golfer's elbow (another
form of tendinitis) and lower back
strain.
Proper stretching of the ap-
propriate muscles for 15 minutes
before a match is the key to
avoiding all of these problems.
Golfer's elbow involves the ten-
dons that attach to forearm mus-
cles, which flex the wrist and
fingers. A key sign you have it:
pain on the inside of the elbow.
Dr. Becker, of the Orthopedic
Specialty Center of Baltimore,
believes that "over-gripping,"
gripping the club too tightly, is
the culprit for this condition. He
recommends squeezing a sponge
ball to loosen up the arm mus-
cles.
Amy Gelazela, a certified ath-
letic trainer, says that proper
overall strengthening of the fore-
arm muscles "is a must" to avoid
golfer's elbow and other strains,
such as rotator cuff tendinitis.
Her suggestion: Place the fore-
arm flat on a table with the wrist
and hand over the edge. With a
2-pound weight in the hand,
move the wrist up and down re-
peatedly. Repetitions vary ac-
cording to gender and age.
Players who suffer from
golfer's elbow tend to have prob-
lems with their swing. Dr. Beck-

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Dr. Larry Becker

er suggests "starting with the
short irons [wedge or 9-iron],
move on to a 6- or 7-iron, steadi-
ly increase to a 3- or 4-iron, then
hit the woods."
Dr. Becker's suggestion about
clubs — moving up slowly on the
driving range — also will help to
avoid muscle pulls. But physical
therapist Judy Lesho says, "If
you have a recurring problem,
get a golf pro to look at your
swing and check your form."
Rotator cuff tendinitis involves
the tendons in the shoulder. The
humerus can rub against a ten-
don, wearing it thin and causing
microscopic tears. Symptoms of
this condition include shoulder
pain during the follow-through
phase of a swing, difficulty in
bringing the arm up and back,
and pain and stiffness within the
shoulder region.
Ms. Lesho stresses the impor-
tance of "keeping the shoulder in
condition" to prevent rotator cuff
injuries.
"Watch the technique of your
swing," she advises. "Make sure
your equipment is the appropri-
ate size and be sure the me-
chanics of your swing are good."
Problems with form and tech-
nique also can lead to lower back
pain. Golf pro Tim Butler says
that "strengthening the abdom-
inal" will save the lower back."
This can be done with stomach
crunches and sit-ups. Mr. Butler
also suggests touching your toes
or placing a broom behind your
neck and stretching back and
forth. Both are good ways to
loosen up before play, he com-
ments. When you swing, always

PAINLESS page 80