| What do Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and the Grinch | | | | AFTER they start experiencing pain. So they |
| Have in Common? | | | | stretch what can be stretched and strengthen |
| | | | what the pain will allow them to strengthen. |
| | | | They work around the pain, and allow other |
| | | | parts of their body to do more of the work. |
| Do you remember the infamous Presidents Cup | | | | After awhile, they have lived with the pain |
| of 2005? Those close ups of Tiger Woods and | | | | and physical limits for so long, they forget |
| Jim Furyk wincing in pain with every big | | | | what it is like to move freely. |
| swing because they both had back injuries. | | | | |
| And one image in particular of Furyk lying | | | | Move - Just Move |
| face down on the fairway while a therapist | | | | |
| worked to loosen his back. Neither golfer | | | | Compensating for weakness and limiting your |
| succumbed to the pain, and the U.S. won the | | | | motion is precisely the wrong thing to do |
| week. But that tournament is a reminder to | | | | when you are dealing with problems of the |
| those who golf what a fragile thing your back | | | | back and pelvic area. When you first injure |
| is. | | | | yourself, something called the Fascia (the |
| | | | protective sheath that covers every muscle, |
| If you golf, and daily stretching, wall | | | | tendon, ligament and cell of the body) |
| squats, power lunges and crunchies are not | | | | tightens up around the affected area to |
| already a part of your daily routine, it's | | | | protect it. But if you do nothing to stretch |
| time to start. When you consider the way your | | | | the fascia, or worse, work around it, it |
| back is twisted and torqued before and after | | | | tightens more and more, steadily pulling |
| any swing, but your drive in particular, it | | | | ligaments and tendons and your all-important |
| makes good sense that you should put effort | | | | pelvic cavity into unnatural positions. For |
| into strengthening and lengthening your back, | | | | you, this means pain, pain and more pain. It |
| shoulders, legs etc. to prevent injury (it | | | | also means restricted movement. |
| also allows for a more fluid swing, by the | | | | |
| way). | | | | With that knowledge top of mind, when a |
| | | | patient comes for his/her first visit, the |
| The goal of your exercise program should be | | | | first thing I do is treat the throbbing in |
| to strengthen your pelvic girdle and | | | | his back or pelvis. The second thing I do is |
| surrounding muscle , according to Dr. Stephen | | | | ask him what injuries he has had in the last |
| H. Hochschuler, chairman and co-founder of | | | | six months to a year, as well as observe his |
| the Texas Back Institute. | | | | her overall structure and posture to |
| | | | understand the adaptations and strain |
| What do you do if your back is already tender | | | | patterns that have developed. Once I |
| and you haven't exactly been DOING those | | | | understand the origin of the injury, I can |
| exercises so much as reading and talking | | | | treat the source of the pain and restore free |
| about them? | | | | movement and real healing. |
| | | | |
| Tangled up in Mangled up Knots | | | | Over the course of several sessions, I work |
| | | | the fascia like sculptor's clay. I warm the |
| The first thing you need to do is to take | | | | fascia with long, steady, myofascial |
| pressure off of your back. That may mean | | | | spreading movements with my hands, fingers, |
| taking a week or two away from golf. But | | | | knuckles and sometimes elbows. I sooth |
| eventually it will mean lengthening your | | | | spasming muscles and create long-lost |
| back, leg and abdominal muscles AND aligning | | | | elasticity in the fascia. I do this layer by |
| your pelvis and back. Without this last step, | | | | layer, through fascia to muscle to tendon and |
| all the stretching and strengthening in the | | | | bone. And I as I pass through, I am able to |
| world will only loosen ancillary muscles. And | | | | right the "tangled up, mangled up knots" in |
| just like the Grinch (who Stole Christmas), | | | | the lower back and pelvis. |
| the ligaments, tendons and myofascia that | | | | |
| hold your pelvis in place and attach to your | | | | By the end of treatment, the patient is pain |
| hips and back will be "tangled up in mangled | | | | free. His movements are long and fluid. His |
| up knots". | | | | exercise routine includes every muscle. And |
| | | | his swing? 360%! |
| How do you fix THAT? | | | | |
| | | | ____________________________________________ |
| As an Rolf practitioner, I've been observing | | | | _____________________________________________ |
| and and treating many golfer's backs. And | | | | _ |
| what I have found is that many people begin | | | | |
| their exercise routine, if they have one, | | | | 1. |