Musculoskeletal Care of the Mature Patient

There are many claims for originally and orthopedic surgeons love to state that they were the first to introduce or invent a technique. Hey, it attracts patients. Let me share with you the story of N.C, who had to give up golf during his Florida sojourn this past winter owing to a recurrence of low back pain. He first presented in my office in 2001 with an arthritic knee that had caused him to stop playing golf. To make matters worse, he had determined that his days of golf were finished and had put his condo unit in Southern California on the market. This very patient became the first recipient of an inlay unicompartmental total knee replacement through a minimally invasive incision and was discharged from the hospital on the same day as the surgery. What has followed thereafter in orthopedic surgery is now a well-established pattern, minimally invasive surgery for a joint replacement with a short hospital stay. Now in his early 80s with two artificial hips and having undergone a spinal decompression for stenosis five years earlier, he presents with disabling low back pain. My prescription, Pilate’s principles to help this golfer rehab and return to the golf course. This is just part of a new initiative, golf medicine. In my patient’s case, Pilates will be corrective of his symptom complex, for you it may prevent injury.

Pilates Principles

There are basically five principles that promote recovery from golf injury to the low back.

Alignment

Core Stability

Breath

Control

Strength with Flexibility

When you look at the nature of the golf injury, the dominant problem is a mechanical low back injury from hyperextension and torque although hip degeneration, shoulder tendinitis are quite common

You decide what makes the most sense. Either invest your money in a new fancy carbon-composite driver with an expanded “sweet” spot and in revolutionary golf balls engineered for longer and straighter flight or you may invest your time in Pilates rehabilitation to help you play and play to your potential