Golfers and Foot Injuries

Golf involves several mechanics in different parts of your body. In a golf swing, the shoulders move in an arc,the left and the right foot moves differently during each part of the swing, as well as the amount of pressure being applied to each foot, and the way the hip and knees move can lead to different injuries depending on your form.

Today we will focus on 2 most common foot injuries related to golf. Lateral ankle sprains and intermetatarsal neuromas.

Lateral ankle sprain can occur when the leg is gliding over the ankle, as in a golf swing. Through repetitive and excessive motion, the lateral ankle ligaments can become “loose” which can make it easier to sprain it. When pain and inflammation first occurs, the doctor usually will prescribe some anti-inflammatory medications, as well as icing the area and perhaps even braces or orthotics to give it some stability. But once it’s sprained, physical therapy is recommended to allow the physical therapist through manual therapy for proper healing, as well as strengthening the surrounding muscles to increase stability in the ankle and even work on loading the ankle with the right amount of force and range to correct your form during your swing.

Intermetatarsal neuroma is a benign growth of the nerve tissue that is caused by constant irritation from repetitive force applied on the nerve.