Interior BC is home to many beautiful golf courses. With the sun shining it is the perfect time to spend the day on the course. With hours of golfing ahead, we want to highlight a few common injuries that can occur and bring golfers to an MRI clinic.

1. Back pain

Bending over the club and the force used as a golfer takes a swing can put stress on the lower spine. Often this is due to muscle strain or pulled back muscles. Make sure to stretch and take some time off to recover if your back starts to hurt. Many injuries can be resolved with rest.

If you and your doctor decide an MRI is needed to take a closer look, we are here to help. MRI can view the muscles, ligaments, intervertebral discs, spinal cord, and nerves in detail revealing what might be causing the pain.

2. Golfers Elbow

Golfers elbow can be caused by improper swing technique and overuse. It presents as pain on the medial side of the elbow. This is due to inflammation of the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. It is referred to as medial epicondylitis and can also be treated by resting.

If MRI is needed to confirm the injury, we get a great look at the muscles and tendons involved and the inflammation and extent of the injury is very evident on the MRI images.

Image on left demonstrates the medial epicondyle that is effected. Image on right represents the inflammation seen on the MRI scan of the elbow.

3. Knee Pain

Knee pain can be caused by a variety of things. It is often a result of the stress placed on the knee as it stabilizes the rotation of the hip during a swing. The pain could be from a meniscal tear, muscle strain or ligament injury. Imaging of the knee may be required if rest does not help with improvement and further treatment is required.

MRI can be a great tool for imaging the knee joint as it shows the meniscus, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in multiple planes to rule out tears or inflammation.

Image above: Meniscal tear seen as high signal within the lower intensity signal of the meniscus

4. Rotator Cuff Injuries

Unfortunately, after swinging a club all day, a golfer can end up with a sore rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is made up of the four stabilizing muscles in the shoulder. Those muscles can swell and become impinged within the shoulder. Other injuries would include tearing of those muscles or tendons. Many rotator cuff injuries can be managed and avoided with rest, stretching, and strengthening of the shoulder and back muscles.

Again, much like the other injuries, MRI is a great tool to take a closer look if you need us.

Don’t let these potential injuries ruin the excitement of the golf season ahead. Your games will go great with a proper swing technique, strength training, stretching, and resting when you need to! Enjoy the sun and the great days ahead. And of course, if you need us, we are here to help!

*Title photo by Predator Ridge Golf Course