Play it Safe!

Golf Related Knee Pain

There are an estimated twenty-six million golfers in the United States alone. Although knee pain is not the most common issue when playing, it is a possible threat. The game of golf demands flexibility and body mechanics including vast amounts of bending and twisting. As we get older, the cartilage in the knees become weakened and joint fluid loses shock-absorbing qualities, especially in golfer’s knees. As the cartilage deteriorates and joint fluid loses viscosity, a player may start to experience severe knee pain. Golfers tend to suffer from knee pain due to excessive pronation, exaggerated by walking, bending, rotating during their swing, and incorrect posture or form while practicing or playing. It is also possible that a golfer’s knee pain is due to arthritis and failed surgical procedures. We offer several injections and ablation options to successfully diagnose and treat a player’s knee pain, whatever the cause! As well as offering tips to prevent knee pain or maintain improvement. Treatment options are available to individuals who are looking to avoid surgical procedures, such as total knee replacements or partial knee replacements, those seeking knee pain relief after having a surgical procedure, and to those looking to assess undiagnosed knee pain.

A golfer’s knee pain can be categorized as acute or chronic. Acute knee pain often last for a few days to weeks whereas chronic knee pain last for months and even years. Some of the most common reasons behind a golfer’s acute knee pain are cartilage tears, or meniscal tears, and knee ligament tears. Ligament tears such as ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament), MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament), and PCL (Posterior Cruciate Ligament) tears. Often times, a player’s chronic knee pain emerges when they suffer from long term forms of arthritis including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post traumatic arthritis. A golfer may consider treatment options Southern Coast Pain Specialists to get back to playing the game they love without chronic or acute knee pain. In addition to oral medication therapy, we offer Corticosteroid injections, Synvisc or Hyaluronic Acid Injections, Genicular Nerve Blocks, and Genicular Nerve Ablation.

Corticosteroid Injections are a compounded medication that is injected directly into knee. The mixture contains a local anesthetic that coats the nerves surrounding the knee, numbing them, and alleviating the player of their pain. A Hyaluronic Acid Injection, or Synvisc Injection, is meant to supplement a golfer’s natural substance that gives the knee joint fluid viscidness. Genicular Nerve Blocks are diagnostic procedures performed prior to a Genicular Nerve Ablation. Genicular Nerve Blocks are diagnostic injections where a numbing medication is administered directly into the knee or Genicular Nerves, temporarily relieving patients of knee pain. Once the Genicular Nerves are confirmed as the source of knee pain, a subsequent Genicular Ablation may be performed. During this procedure the Genicular Nerves are cauterized alleviating a patient’s knee pain for several months to a year. Each procedure is beneficial to golfers and individuals looking to reduce their knee pain because they can be safely repeated many times throughout the course of treatment.

During treatment it is important to incorporate specific exercises and stretches into your golf routine to prevent knee pain and increase improvement odds. Stretching decreases stiffness of knee tendons and ligaments that are often the culprits of knee pain or knee injury. Golf exercises significantly improve muscle strength, providing additional support to surrounding muscles. Below are tips and examples of golf related exercises and stretches to help you complete your round without knee pain. Reach out to us for information on our treatment options, we would love to get you back in full swing!

Tips for Preventing Knee Pain on the Course

Turn your feet out slightly when swinging to reduce the amount you pivot, especially on your lead leg. This will decrease the amount of stress on your knee causing knee pain.
Maintain an upright stance to lessen the amount of bending in the knees when swinging the club, decreasing the potential for knee pain.
Use short swings to decrease stress on the knee.
Use spiked golf shoes to minimize the twisting force on the knee.
Minimize knee stiffness by stretching before and after playing.
Do not let the knees roll inward in your golf stance. Keep your buttocks back so that your knees don’t go further forward than your toes.
If you feel that you have injured your knee or experience severe knee pain, STOP playing!

Golf Exercises/Stretches to Prevent Knee Pain