REturn to Golf Program
Bridging the Gap Between Rehab and Return To The Golf Course
Are you a golfer who has had a recent surgery to your shoulder, lower back, knee or hip? Most of the time after a surgery the focus is on getting your range of motion and strength back to the surgical body part and being able to perform daily activities. Once you accomplish these goals you are typically either released from physical therapy by your surgeon or the insurance company will not authorize any further treatments.
Where Does Golf Fit In the Typical Rehab Process?
Returning to golf after a surgery is often an afterthought in the rehab process. Most of the time when the golfer reaches this point they might receive a piece of paper with a sample progression as far as volume and intensity of swings and the therapist or surgeon may offer a few pieces of advise such as start with putting and chipping first and then progress to hitting wedges, then mid irons and working up to your woods and eventually driver. Once you get this advise, there is typically no further follow up and the golfer is left on their own to figure out the rest. We believe that taking this approach can make the transition to your prior level of performance take much longer than necessary and in some cases cause continued pain with golf.
The Solution: Our Return to Golf Program
Our return to golf programs can help see if your body is up to par and help get you up to speed to make this a seamless transition, instead of having to wait months to finally get your distance and game back to where it used to be. This program is great for any golfer who has 'completed' their rehab, yet still doesn't feel confident in returning to golfing or wants to return to their previous level of play as soon as possible. Some players even end up improving beyond their previous level!
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How Do We Accomplish This?
Here are some of unique features of our program to help you get back on The Course:
1. We look at the entire body with a focus on how it relates to golf. The rehab process often only focuses on the area of the surgery. Golf is a whole body movement and when you go months with neglecting the rest of the body, it doesn't put you in the best place to successfully return to playing. When it is time to be discharged this creates a pretty large gap between where you are currently at and successfully returning to completing a round of golf depending on the injury or surgery. Each golfer that goes through our return to golf programs will be taken through a thorough assessment process to make sure your body is up to par.
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2. We look at the golf swing:
Did you know that the golf swing mechanics could be a contributor to pain? There are swing characteristics that can lead to contribute to pain in common areas such as the lower back, shoulder, hip and knee. However, just because you have surgery to help with the pain, these swing characteristics are often are still present and can lead to continued pain in these areas when you return to golf. We have relationships with many local golf coaches and instructors to help address this aspect of safely returning to play.
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3. Individualized programming for return to play:
The rehab process is going to be unique for each individual and their return to golf will be unique as well. While we need to respect the surgeons timeline for return to play, the reality is that the general guidelines most golfers receive upon discharge is lacking and leads to uncertainty and frustration. Our programs are designed to give you individualized programming as you progress back to the course. This can help give you confidence in your return to play and make sure that what you are feeling as you return to play is 'normal' or expected. We maintain an open line of communication as you make this transition so you can receive the most appropriate and up to date advise.