Both amateur golfers and professionals alike find that chiropractic care helps keep them at their best both on and off the golf course. Many golfers who belong to the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) insist upon chiropractic care during a tournament. The PGA has contracted Dr. Tom LaFountain and his team of chiropractors since 1997 to provide chiropractic services at all PGA tours and Championship tours throughout the U.S.
Chiropractor Dale Richardson, who treats championship golfer Padraig Harrington, says, “The most common injuries are strains and sprains in the lower back and neck, and tendonitis affecting the wrists and forearms due to the repetitive action and overuse syndromes typical of golf. These injuries can be prevented by taking precautionary measures, such as conditioning and proactive healthcare, both of which are key to optimizing performance for anyone who plays golf.”
Harrington, winner of two British Open championships and a PGA championship, is a big supporter of chiropractic. He says, “One thing I know through experience is that I need to keep seeing my chiropractor, even when I have a few weeks off from golf. Getting on-going chiropractic care helps me to stay injury-free. It also helps me to deal with symptoms when they begin, so that they don’t turn into bigger injuries down the road.”
In 1995, at the tender age of 17, when Tiger Woods was still an amateur golfer, he appeared as an advocate for chiropractic on the Chiropractic Centennial Foundation’s (CCF) Tournament of Roses Parade Float. Woods said, “Being a chiropractic patient has really helped me a lot. When I was in a growth spurt, my back became very sore and I was weak. My chiropractor really helped me. Not only did he adjust my spine, he also gave me strengthening exercises to do. If you are tall and gangly, like I am, or play sports, I would recommend chiropractic. It’s as important to my game as practicing my swing!”
Fred Funk, one of the oldest players to feature in the top 50 of Official World Golf Rankings, said, “I do believe chiropractic has really benefited my game. Over the last three years, I feel I have become more exposed to, and knowledgeable about, the benefits of chiropractic for me and my game. I realize how your body can get out of balance, and chiropractic care helps me. So many guys on the tour wanted chiropractic care that the tour had to supply a regular chiropractor that travels with us two weeks out of the month!”
Dr. Richardson added, “Golfers who access treatment by a chiropractor with multidisciplinary experience will experience fewer injuries, perform better, and achieve greater results. Restoring and improving skeletal and joint mobility with associated skeletal and joint stability is a focus of chiropractic treatment.”
