THE PAINS OF GOLF
Feeling the wear and tear from playing the game? Seeing an orthopaedic specialist may be the answer to how you can battle on pain-free.
Take a closer look at the golf swing and you’ll discover that this is arguably the most unnatural of movements in sports. The feet stay on the ground, the hips turn, the shoulder turns, then the different parts of the whole body move in different directions from each other resulting in an explosive action through the ball. The upper body rotates around a fixed lower body producing a torque force that puts great stress everywhere.
What this causes venture far beyond the inaccurately termed “golfers elbow”.
“Even though ‘golfer’s elbow’ is named after the sport, surprisingly not many recreational golfers present with the injury,” explains Dr Edwin Tan of Auspicium Orthopaedics. “The most common injuries we see in golf are acute back strain, ankle sprain, wrist tendinitis, and the occasional knee injuries.”
Dr Edwin Tan of Auspicium Orthopaedics
There is little reason to believe otherwise from Dr Tan’s assessment. The Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon of Auspicium was awarded a post-graduate membership, a Masters of Medicine, and the Fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthopaedic Surgery. He also won the HMDP award for a one-year fellowship programme in Imperial College, London while practicing at the Singapore General Hospital.
Surgery is certainly on the cards if an injury is severe enough. “In rare cases, injuries may require surgical intervention to either achieve reduction of displaced injuries, or allow golfers to return to pre-injury level of performance,” Dr Tan elaborates. “These may be things like displaced fractures, for example in the wrist or ankle, or complete tendon or ligament ruptures that affect mobility and stability.”
The surgeon admits that most injuries recover naturally with the aid of anti-inflammatories like Arcoxia, or with the implementation of specific physiotherapeutic treatments. “Should there be limited structural damage, platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment has been shown to be effective in recovery,” Dr Tan adds.
Dr Tan’s area of specialty is in Sports and Reconstructive Surgery, and aid in the treatment of injuries sustained by both recreational and professional athletes.
With a strong interest in Sports and Reconstructive surgery, he has travelled extensively to various countries around Asia- Pacific to perform surgeries.
From knee ligament reconstructions of national athletes in Papua New Guinea to joint replacement surgeries in China, he has aided patients in returning to their level of competitive sports and quality of life.
But not all patients with injuries need to go under the knife. “Apart from PRP injection, supplementary treatment options include Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Chiropractic treatment and even yoga or pilates, which can help in building core strength and flexibility,” he explains.
“Apart from traditional orthopaedic surgery, a large part of our practice is on injury prevention, return to sports and non-surgical management of conditions, Additionally, for professional athletesthat require pre-competition medical assessments or pre-employment tests, these can be performed by Dr Dinesh Sirisena, our consultant sports physician.”
Golf is a sport that Auspicium has a particular interest and specialty in. The practice is the Official Doctor of the DP World Tour when it holds its event in Singapore, the most recent being the Porsche Classic held at Laguna National Golf Resort Club in March this year.
As comprehensive as Auspicium’s coverage provides for sports ailments, Dr Tan believes that the best cure is prevention. “As most of us play recreationally, especially golfers who tee off early in the morning, or hit the range after a long day at work, spending five to 10 minutes pre and post activity doing adequate stretching goes a long way in preventing soft tissue injuries. Additionally, trusting your body – resting when exhausted or in pain – can help in avoiding the development of serious injuries. The old adage of ‘no pain, no gain’ may often lead to aggravation and worsening of potential injuries.”
For more information on Auspicium Orthopaedic, visit sportsdoctor.auspiciumorthopaedic.com
