Addressing the Pain in your Neck!

One of the most overlooked aspects of a proper golf swing is normalizing range of motion of the neck (cervical spine). Most individuals over the age of 30 experience tightness of the muscles of neck, which develops slowly over a period of years. Often the loss of neck mobility goes largely unnoticed because it happens so slowly. In general, the older one gets the tighter the muscles of the neck become.

When golf pros speak of developing a good shoulder turn for better power and control, they also speak of keeping the head still throughout the swing. Tightness of the neck muscles will significantly reduce a good shoulder turn which in turn will lead to a much shorter back swing. To increase the back swing, the player will be forced to compensate by sliding the hips and upper body instead of turning the shoulders in place. This leads not only to loss of power but also loss of control of the golf ball at the point of impact.

Our staff of professional physical therapists, at Praxis Physical Therapy and Human Performance are trained to evaluate and treat tightness of cervical spine, even though it may not be causing pain. With a proper evaluation and customized exercise program, we can help you re-gain mobility in your cervical spine, a key element in getting your golf swing back on track.

Author

Michael E. Kordecki, DPT, SCS, ATC Michael E. Kordecki is the owner of Praxis Physical Therapy in Vernon Hills, IL. He earned is Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Finch University, The Chicago Medical School (now Rosalind Franklin University). He is Board Certified in Clinical Sports Medicine by the American Physical Therapy Association. He is a Certified Athletic Trainer with the NATA. Dr. Kordecki was the Team Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer, Chicago Bears Football Club. He serves on the adjunct faculty of Andrews Institute in Pensacola FL. He is a published author and inventor: he holds several patents on sports equipment and exercise equipment.