Utah is famous for its plentiful outdoor recreation. While hiking, skiing, and camping are some of the state’s most popular offerings, you can’t overlook Utah’s golf courses. If you’ve been enjoying Utah’s golf scene, like many, you may eventually find yourself dealing with a golf injury. Over time, a combination of repetitive motions, age, and overused joints and muscles can lead to considerable injuries, and some can linger for long periods of time—and even get worse.
If you’re struggling with a nagging orthopedic injury that’s affecting your golf game, you’re probably wondering what can be done to alleviate the injury for good. After all, any time away from the links is time missing out on the game you love. Yet injuries can persist and some golfers end up seeking surgery as a result or give up their golf game entirely.
However, we believe there is a much better option than turning in your clubs or going under the knife. It’s called PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), and it can heal most common golf injuries. If you’re ready to take back your morning tee time, read on to discover if PRP therapy is right for you.
What is PRP Therapy?
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) is a form of regenerative medicine that uses your body’s own natural healing mechanisms to supercharge your golf injury’s recovery process. Upon drawing your own blood, your blood’s platelets are concentrated to 4-5 times the standard amount. Containing healing proteins, these platelets are then released directly to the injured area of your body through a PRP injection.
As a result, your body’s healing response is kicked into overdrive, dramatically speeding up your recovery. A natural, readily available, and cost-effective healing treatment, PRP presents an ideal solution for treating your golf injury. Not only that, PRP provides lasting pain relief, unlike anti-inflammatory drugs such as NSAIDs or cortisone injections, which only temporarily relieve your pain but can make your injury worse in the long run. With PRP, your perfected golf swing can remain intact!
Professional Golfers Use PRP Therapy
PRP has grown in popularity in recent years due to its advocacy by professional athletes. In fact, arguably the most famous golfer in the world has used PRP therapy. Maybe you’ve heard of him? His name is Tiger Woods.
If you’ve followed Tiger Woods’ storied career, you’re well aware of his battle with golf injuries. When he suffered an ACL injury, he started PRP therapy as part of his treatment with a desire to accelerate his return to the golf course. Tiger even shared the benefits of his treatment in a 2010 interview before making his comeback.
Some other professional golfers who’ve received PRP therapy include two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen, and 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples. With PRP sought after by the best golfers in the world, what kinds of orthopedic injuries can receive treatment?
Common Golf Injuries Treated with PRP Therapy
Thankfully, PRP can treat many typical injuries associated with golf. You don’t have to let your injury derail your golf game any longer. Let’s take a look at some of the most common golf injuries and how PRP helps you recover from each:
Golfer’s Elbow
Medial Epicondylitis, or “Golfer’s Elbow,” is a form of tendonitis causing pain and inflammation in the tendons connecting your forearm and elbow. This injury often occurs in golfers who grip their clubs too tightly, but your susceptibility also increases with age, improper swings, and repeatedly hitting a golf ball over time (as any golfer would!). While this injury typically heals slowly, PRP can help speed up your recovery time.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Your rotator cuff is a key muscle group in your shoulder that affects your golf swing, and when it’s injured, your entire golf game can be thrown off. This injury can even hamper daily tasks like gripping objects and reaching above or behind for things around the house. With PRP, your recovery time for rotator cuff injuries decreases dramatically. You can even avoid surgery and its complications. As a non-surgical treatment option, you also have less chance of retearing your rotator cuff than you do if it’s surgically repaired.
Wrist Injuries & Carpal Tunnel
As a golfer, you know how often you use your wrists for maneuvering your golf swing. Over time, wrist pain and injury can occur from repetitive motion and overuse. If you’ve developed an injury, arthritis, or carpal tunnel in your wrist, PRP can help. In fact, Bubba Watson, whom we mentioned earlier, sought PRP to treat his wrist injury. With PRP your wrists can experience lasting pain relief and increased functionality.
Knee Injuries & Arthritis
Knee pain is a common factor for golfers as they age. The motion of your golf swing exerts a stressful force on your joint tissues. Your ACL is also susceptible to damage from overuse or acute injury. If you’re experiencing regular knee pain, PRP therapy can provide lasting pain relief. And if you’re dealing with an ACL injury, PRP may help you avoid surgery.
Lower Back Pain, Spine Injuries, & Sciatica
Even Tiger Woods has back issues. The constant rotation, bending, and twisting of your lower back experiences in golf can lead to injuries over time. By injecting healing proteins directly into your lower back through PRP therapy, you can restore function and relieve nagging back pain long-term.
The Golf Course is Calling with PRP
Are you ready to enjoy golf again without worrying about pain or injury? Don’t spend your days stuck in the clubhouse. It’s clear PRP can be the solution you need to get back in the game. At the Albano Clinic here in Utah, Dr. Joseph Albano and his team are ready to help golfers like you find the healing that lasts. Schedule an appointment with us today to get started!