Regardless of what grip a golfer prefers; interlocking, overlapping or 10 fingered, good wrist flexibility during the swing requires both hands be in parallel alignment.   Natural wrist motion occurs when the palms are facing one another along the target line.  The most common golf-related injury is tendinitis.  To avoid this, stretching the wrist/forearm before every round of practice of play is necessary.  Have a golf teaching professional assess your grip because it is the sole connection to your club.  Wrist action is a critical part of the game.

Approximately 25,000 people sprain their ankel each day.  The acute ankle injury is the most common sports injury encoutnered today and is responsible for up to 30% of sports related injuries in young athletes.  Left untreated, a sprained ankel can lead to chronic ankle instability, high reoccurrence rate, and secondary complications due to prolonged ankle pain.  Careful diagnosis with adequate immobilization and early treatment of an akle sprain is imperative.

Physical Therapy treatment involves swelling control, pain free RPM and then strengthening stabilizing muscles.  Restoring “proprioception” in the ankle joint will help reduce the risk of re-injury.  Proprioception is the ability of the muscles surrounding a joint to respond to abnormal positions and situations.  For example, when standing on an uneven surface like grass the ankle adjusts to the surface to prevent fall and injuries.  After an injury, proprioception, like strength and flexibility, is impaired and requires rehabilitation.  To ensure complete healing of an ankle sprain and decease the chance of recurrence be sure to have the sprain properly treated by your physician and Physical Therapist at FreeMotion Physical Therapy.

Surfing is gaining in popularity in beautiful South Orange County. Living close to the beach with easy access to great surf breaks makes it easy to indulge in this exciting sport. However, it is important to realize the risks involved in surfing.

A couple of years ago my husband and I were on a 7 day surf vacation when he felt a dull ache and constant popping in his shoulder. Upon examining his shoulder, I found the humeral head was sitting anterior in the glenohumeral joint. Posterior joint mobilization relocated the humeral head and relieved the pain and popping; allowing him to surf 3x/day for the remainder of the vacation.

Due to the overhead shoulder flexion motion that is used for paddling a surfboard, the shoulder is susceptible to injury. It is crucial to keep the muscles of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizing muscles strong and the chest muscles flexible to maintain healthy surf shoulders. Approximately 45% of a surfers time is spent paddling. Unlike swimming where the power is generated primarily from shoulder to opposite hip (body rotation), surfers rely solely on the upper back and shoulders to propel them because the surfboard they are lying on restricts rotational movement. Often, it is the non-dominant shoulder which is more susceptible to injury because it is not as strong, yet has to work just as hard as the dominant shoulder with paddling. Paddling to catch a wave puts a high demand on the shoulder and scapular stabilizing muscles so be sure you keep these muscles strong to avoid injury. Stop by FreeMotion PT for a complimentary Healthy Surfer’s shoulder regimen. Happy Surfing!

The Game Ready is a new compression coldwrap that you will find at FreeMotion Physical Therapy which is specifically designed to treat swelling and pain.  With an acute injury, the recommendation is R.I.C.E. (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation).  The Game Ready allows you to receive ice and compression and can be incorporated into your physical therapy treatment.  The Game Ready works by using ice water and combining it with compressed air which is then circulated through a bladder that covers a patient’s injured limb.  Unlike a bag of ice which may only cover one side of intermittent compression at a constant temperature reaching as low as 36 degrees.

Here at FreeMotion Physical Therapy we currently use the Game Ready for treating shoulders, ankles, knees and elbows.  We have seen great results, especially with post operative patients and/ or acute sprains.  Our patients ask to use this machine because the results are very impressive.  The goal of the unit is to decrease swelling quickly, allowing strength and function to improve rapidly.  The Game Ready is already being used by the majority of  the NFL, NBA and Division 1 NCAA athletic programs.

Low back pain is the most common complaint in recreational golfers.  Lack of good core strength is one of the most common causes of low back pain.

Flexibility, strength, power and core stability are directly related to club head speed.  Core strength training integrates balance, stability and coordination to linked movement patterns with your swing.

Sport specific exercises are important to every golfer.  FreeMotion Physical Therapy has a great core strength training program for golfers.