Swinging the golf club with a painful shoulder is no fun at all. Unfortunately, shoulder injuries are a common problem among golfers. Here are some reasons for your shoulder pain while golfing:
Each shoulder must do specific and opposite maneuvers when executing the golf swing. The lead shoulder is stretched to extreme adduction with the arm pressed against the chest at the height of the backswing. This can cause posterior instability and AC joint pain. The non-leading shoulder is stretched to an abducted position with the arm away from the body which can cause anterior stability and SLAP tears. In addition, both shoulders are prone to subacromial impingement and rotator cuff tears.
The important thing to do would be to identify the cause of the shoulder pain. It could be either due to improper technique or due to overuse/playing too much. In either case, at first you would need to rest, apply ice to the area to reduce pain, and use over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications as needed.
Once the shoulder pain and associated symptoms have resolved, try to improve your golf swing. It is best to seek assistance from a qualified instructor or physical therapist who will be able to properly analyze flaws in your technique and offer the appropriate solutions as well as recommend warm-up exercises that will protect your shoulders from injury.
If the shoulder pain is due to an overuse injury, you will need to space out your golf sessions to give your overworked shoulder muscles and joints time to heal the micro-trauma sustained during each game.
Shoulder pain that does not improve with rest and conservative treatments should evaluated by a shoulder specialist. Advanced treatments ranging from PRP injections & cell therapies to minimally invasive surgery offered by South Palm Orthopedics can help you return to your game with minimal delay.
Dr. Steve E. Meadows is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced fellowship training in hand and upper extremity surgery . He practices general orthopedic surgery with a subspecialty interest in shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand problems. Dr. Meadows performs numerous shoulder surgeries per year, including rotator cuff repair, shoulder replacement, reverse shoulder replacement, and fracture repair. Our team of physicians provides an advanced level of care, integrating the newest cutting-edge surgical and nonsurgical techniques, with proven traditional methods of treatments. The physicians at South Palm Orthopedics are committed to providing the highest level of orthopedic care to each and every patient each and every time.