Posted 1 Aug '21

Under par?

Golf is often an underrated form of exercise; you require a good level of basic fitness for a day of golf. Stamina to walk the course, strength to wheel your trolley around, mobility in your shoulders, back, and hips to be hitting those long shots down the fairway. In one 18-hole round of golf, you are likely to walk 3-6 miles and swing 50 plus times; this is a lot of effort for your body. Golfers often suffer from chronic pain due to overuse injuries, which is why you need to consider your health, fitness and kit to ensure you can always say yes to a day on the greens with friends.

Arrive in plenty of time before you tee off to allow for a few stretches; many injuries occur because people haven’t prioritised ten minutes to warm up their muscles. We’ve found this great video  if you need some guidance on the exercises to do.

Hiren is out regularly on the local Surrey and London courses; he tries not to talk shop and offer podiatry advice but. . . it’s tricky not to help those in discomfort. When a golfer has foot, knee, leg pain, it can affect balance, timing and ultimately your swing. No one wants their day of golf ruined by foot pain. There are a few conditions that are common:-

• Plantar Fasciitis- This is inflammation in the connective tissue under the base of the foot. 

• Achilles Tendonitis- inflammation in the tendon that runs down the back of your foot. A lot of force is put through the Achilles with every golf swing.

• Mortons Neuroma- an irritation on the nerves lying in between your toes. It often feels like there is a pebble in your shoes that causes burning pain in your toes. It is more regularly happens in a golfer lead foot. 

•  Hallus Rigidus- stiffness to the big toe joint causing a lot of pain. Golfers pivot on the big toe, causing repeated overextension of the joint.

Here at Flawless Feet, we treat patients with these conditions all the time, caused by all sorts of activities, not just golf. We have a variety of treatments available, including Shockwave therapy and Biomechanical Assessments. Shockwave therapy is audible, low energy sound waves, which work by increasing blood flow to the injured area. This accelerates the body’s healing process; find out more here.  Our biomechanical assessments’ involves an examination of the lower limbs, looking at their structure, alignment, strengths and weaknesses. Many golfers have orthotics as they stabilise your feet, allowing more contact with the ground and confidence in your swing. Find out more about our biomechanical assessments. 

When you come for a podiatry appointment to discuss foot discomfort during or after golf, make sure you bring your golf shoes with you. We can then check these over to ensure there is enough support for your feet. 

A day of following the fairways to the greens is meant to be fun, social and a relaxing day of movement, which doesn’t include foot pain. We can do so many things to treat these conditions; just book in, just don’t get Hiren started on his par.