Pain-Free Golf Swing

Reported October 2008

BALTIMORE, MA. (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Golfers losing on the course now have a new -- and real -- excuse for a poor game. Experts say foot pain can get in the way of your performance on the course.

Vince Tawney loves golf -- but when pain in his foot became severe, he had to give up his favorite sport.

"I actually paid for the tournaments and had to back out," Tawney told Ivanhoe.

Foot pain in golfers is not uncommon, but most players don’t realize the pain hurts their game.

"Usually, the patient comes in complaining of pain in their foot, but they don’t really notice that they’re golf swing is off," Scott Woodburn, D.P.M., a foot and ankle surgeon at Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Baltimore, Md., told Ivanhoe.

Now, surgeons like Dr. Woodburn say there are three common areas of the foot most likely to ruin a golf swing -- causing players to hit way off course.

"Most people know a disruptive follow-through causes the ball to go one way or another, instead of straight," Dr. Woodburn said.

Arthritis causes pain in the joint of the big toe, making it hard to follow through on a swing. A falling arch causes an unstable foot, making a firm stance wobbly during a swing. Neuromas -- another game-ruining problem -- are thick nerves in the ball of the foot that cause pain as weight is shifted from one foot to another during a swing.

"Most of the time, these problems can be corrected with conservative care -- conservative care being cortisone injections, paddings, shoe accommodations, arch supports, physical therapy, [and] ice," Dr. Woodburn said.

Vince’s problem was in his big toe, but a simple procedure smoothed over a bump of bone causing the pain. After that, Vince got his swing back -- pain-free.

"To come back and play it better … is what it’s all about," Tawney said.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

Scott Woodburn, DPM
Podiatry Associates
Towson, MD 21204
(410) 828-5420
ScottWoodburn@comcast.net

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