Three contributors to outside of left wrist pain during golf

Golf is a popular sport that can allow amateurs to increase their physical activity. The National Golf Foundation recently released a report stating that about 24 million Americans took to the golf course in 2018. Along with its benefits, golfing can also lead to several types of injuries, and it’s especially common for right-handed golfers to injure the outside of their left or leading wrist. Here are three factors that can increase your chances of developing pain of the outside of the left wrist while playing golf: 

1. Not taking the time to stretch

One factor that can lead to a higher chance of outside of left wrist pain when golfing is not taking the time to stretch. The wrists, neck, shoulders, back and legs are all used heavily when playing golf, and stretching the muscles, tendons and ligaments in these body parts can help you avoid pain. To help stretch the wrist specifically, you can try doing the wrist extension stretch. 

2. Poor swing mechanics

Poor swing mechanics can also lead to pain on the outside of your left wrist when playing golf. The proper position for the left wrist during your swing is that it should be slightly bowed, and this position should be held through the striking of the ball. Failure to do so can place extra strain on the leading wrist. In turn, this can result in pain and other symptoms. 

3. Playing too much

A third factor that can cause pain on the outside of your left wrist while golfing is playing too much. The enjoyment you have for golf can easily cause you to ignore how tired it makes your body, and a tired body is much more likely to be injured. One article supports this idea by reporting that people who play more than six hours of golf per week are more likely to develop an overuse injury. The good news is that you can reduce this risk by simply playing for less time every week. 

Peak Performance can help treat pain on the outside of the left wrist from golf or other sports

Golf isn’t the only sport that can cause pain on the outside of the left wrist. At Peak Performance, we can help you treat wrist pain caused by many different sports injuries, and we can start your treatment with a free screening. This service is intended to pinpoint the source of your pain. Our team can then use this information to build a personalized treatment plan for you, and your plan could make use of therapy methods like: 

• Therapeutic exercises
• Sport-specific therapy
• Electrical stimulation
• Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM)
• Kinesiology taping

Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to start treating your sports injury.