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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Many pros and US Open contenders have endured knee pain and injury throughout their golf careers. But you don’t have to be a pro, or even a scratch golfer, to have knee pain. Approximately 24 percent of amateur golfers will find themselves sidelined by knee pain.1
Many of my patients think that being diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA), which impacts the lives of more than 10 million American adults,2 means the end of their favorite pastime. The good news is that golf is a very adaptable sport that can be modified to meet the physical capabilities of almost anyone.3
For immediate pain relief, and to decrease swelling, I recommend my patients elevate and ice the knee for five minutes at least twice a day.4 Strengthening the muscles surrounding the knee through exercise will also help alleviate knee pain. One example is to do isometric quadriceps exercises, which can easily be done at home.5 Using the elliptical machine, stationary bike, or just walking for twenty minutes, are low-impact routines that will help strengthen muscles to support cartilage.6
You might also decrease knee injuries and pain by changing your golf equipment. The Arthritis Foundation suggests using clubs with lightweight graphite shafts and perimeter-weighted heads to help absorb shock and lower compression golf balls. Getting a golf bag with a wheeled cart and switching to spikeless golf shoes, reducing the chances of catching your foot and tripping, are also simple adaptations that will go far on the fairway.3
If your knee pain persists, you may want to speak with your doctor about prescription options; including oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or newer topical options such as a diclofenac gel, patch or solution. Topical NSAIDs are especially important to consider in adults aged 65 and older who may experience gastrointestinal issues.7,8
While treating your pain, be sure to ease back into your game by playing fewer holes and using a golf cart. Don’t return to a full swing prematurely, especially when using a driver or long irons. This might place enough stress on the knee to risk re-injury.1
Just as golf pros have been able to come back from knee pain and win the US Open, you might be able to get back into your game by treating your knee pain
For more information visit Arthritis Today www.arthritis.org/golf
Dr. Joseph Markenson is an attending physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City and professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Editor’s note: The author acknowledges receiving honoraria from Covidien, the supplier of PENNSAID® (diclofenac sodium topical solution) 1.5% w/w, as a consultant and speaker.
1 Fontaine, K. Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. Getting active: A real life example. http://www.hopkins-arthritis.org/patient-corner/lifestyle_activity.html. [Last Accessed March 23, 2011].
2 Felson DT, Schaible , Pain in Osteoarthritis (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009) 257-258.
3 American College of Rheumatology. Practice Guidelines: Recommendations for the Medical Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee. January 2000.
4 Deyle DD, Henderson NE, Matekel RL, Ryder MG, Garber MB, Allison SC. Effectiveness of Manual Physical Therapy and Exercise in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 132.3 (2000): 173-181.
5 Study Shows High Physical Activity Helps People with Osteoarthritis Walk Faster. Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/news/2011L-January/Osteoarthritis_Activity.html [Last Accessed March 23, 2011]
6 American College of Rheumatology Subcommittee on Osteoarthritis Guidelines. Recommendations for the medical management of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. Arthritis Rheum. 2000;43:1905-1915.
7 American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. Treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee (non-arthroplasty): full guideline. Rosemont, IL: American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: 2008.
8 Zhang W, Moskowitz RW, Nuki MB, et al. OARSI recommendations for the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis, Part II: OARSI evidence-based, expert consensus guidelines. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2008;16:137-162.
9 “Let’s Move on Course!” Play Golf America. http://www.playgolfamerica.com/index.cfm?action=lets_move_on_course [Last Accessed March 23, 2011].
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