Golf injuries are responsible for over 600,000 medical visits (1). People over the age of 55 have a higher prevalence of golf injuries. Based on the numbers, it causes more injuries than rugby. In this post, we’ll go over all the common golf injuries that amateur and professional golfers are susceptible to as they play golf. This includes injuries to the rotator cuff, neck, ribs, hands, elbow, back, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle. We’ll also highlight the symptoms of these injuries and how to treat common golf injuries.
1. Rotator Cuff Injuries
To power a golf swing, golfers commonly use their rotator cuff muscles. There are four muscles that make up the rotator cuff, helping to provide stability and movement to the shoulder. The tendons of the rotator cuff can develop tendinosis, partial thickness tears, or even complete tears due to the repetitive stress of the golf swing combined with certain swing characteristics. Rotator cuff injuries can worsen over time if they are not treated immediately.
Symptoms and Causes
The symptoms of rotator cuff injuries include a sharp, dull, or achy pain in the shoulder, difficulty lifting the arm overhead, weakness in the upper arm, pain in the shoulder that worsens when lying down on the affected side, and occasionally grating sound or grinding sensation while using the shoulder. The cause of the rotator cuff injury is a gradual degeneration of the rotator cuff tendon due to the repeated swinging motion of the shoulder during golf. It can also occur due to the formation of bony spurs in response to inflammation of the tendons or cartilage due to overuse.
How To Treat Rotator Cuff Injuries
If you develop shoulder pain while golfing, then the first step is to modify your physical activity. Modify any offending activity, golf or overhead activities that can aggravate the injury. The small tears will slowly heal with time in the right circumstances. That’s why it’s crucial to take care of your body. Stay away from processed foods, fast food, and most food items you don’t make yourself. Limiting or ideally stopping alcohol and other harmful substances is a must.
Pain medications like NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs) are also used to relieve pain. These can help temporarily, however are not recommended for long-term use due to the harmful effects it can have on the body.
However, at CSC (Centeno Schultz Clinic), our board-certified physicians who are experts in musculoskeletal and spine care use autologous blood platelet-rich plasma and bone marrow concentrate that includes cells to help your shoulder improve. These regenerative orthobiologic treatments are also effective for treating large and complete rotator cuff tears. In fact, we completed a randomized controlled trial of rotator cuff tears treated with bone marrow concentrate, which you can review in our midterm and final published studies.
2. Neck Pain In Golf
You can develop neck pain playing golf for a number of reasons. These include weak neck muscles, poor golf mechanics, swing tension in the neck, overuse, and tension in the lead arm which can cause neck strain. Neck pain can also develop when people compress their chin and relax the left arm which puts more strain on the neck. This can worsen existing neck injuries and pinched nerves in the neck.
Those with poor posture and weak spinal muscles are more susceptible to neck pain during golf as the muscles get injured easily.While the majority of issues are more related to the myofascial system, degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis of the neck joints and degenerative disk disease can flare up symptoms in the neck, shoulder, and upper back regions.
3. Ribs
Rib-related pain in golfers most often arises from irritation or overload of the rib–facet (costovertebral and costotransverse) joints, rather than from true rib fractures, which are uncommon without significant direct trauma.
One mechanism of injury is contusion—typically when the club inadvertently strikes the ribcage during the follow-through of a swing. This occurs quite rarely. Much more commonly, however, symptoms develop from repetitive mechanical stress placed on the posterior rib articulations/joints during powerful rotational movements.
A golf swing generates substantial torque through coordinated scapular retraction and protraction, with the serratus anterior, intercostals, and paraspinal stabilizers transmitting force across the thoracic cage. The rib facets—small synovial joints linking the ribs to the thoracic vertebrae—absorb a significant portion of this load. When the surrounding musculature and costal cartilage are not adequately conditioned or when mobility is limited, these joints can become overloaded.
The result is rib-facet irritation, capsular strain, or subclinical joint dysfunction, typically localized to the posterolateral rib segments where rotational force is greatest. This condition is often mistaken for a rib “stress fracture,” but in most golfers the underlying issue is actually facet-joint stress and periarticular soft-tissue strain, not a true osseous fracture.
4. Hand Injuries
Hand injuries due to golf includeforearm injury due to golf, sprains after golf, and golf finger pain. Rarely you can also have fractures of the hamate bone and sprained muscles.
Symptoms and Causes
Hand injuries in golfers most often affect the lead arm and hand—for a right-handed golfer, the left hand and wrist. These injuries usually develop from a combination of certain swing characteristics, improper grip, and using clubs that are too heavy or poorly fitted.
When grip technique is off or equipment isn’t well matched to the player, extra stress is placed on the wrist, hand, and forearm with every swing. Over time, this repeated strain can lead to inflammation, tendon irritation, or even small stress injuries. More serious injuries, such as fractures, tend to cause sharp, intense pain, especially with movement.
Common symptoms of hand injuries from golf include:
- Pain in the wrist, palm, or forearm
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers
- Changes in finger color or temperature
These symptoms may start gradually and worsen over time, which is why early recognition is important.
How To Treat Hand Injuries
Treatment typically starts with rest and activity modification to allow irritated tissues to calm down. Continuing to play through pain often makes the injury harder to treat and prolongs recovery.
For pain relief, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may be helpful in the short term. If a fracture or significant injury is suspected, splinting or bracing is often used to protect the area and promote healing.
Supportive devices such as wrist or forearm braces can also help reduce strain and provide stability during daily activities or a gradual return to golf. Surgery is rarely needed for most golf-related hand injuries and is typically reserved for severe cases involving unstable fractures or significant structural damage.
If symptoms persist despite rest and conservative care, evaluation by a physician experienced in musculoskeletal and sports-related injuries can help identify the underlying problem and guide more targeted treatment.
5. Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow is medial epicondylitis. It is the inflammation of the medial epicondyle of the elbow joint. Damage to the tendons and muscles that attach to the condyle due to repeated movements and stress can lead to inflammation or tendonitis.
Symptoms and Causes
Repetitive motion with eccentric force on the muscles and ligaments of the inner elbow can cause the degeneration and formation of granulation tissue. This is called tendinosis and can result in pain of varying severity. The symptoms include pain at the ulnar side which can radiate from the epicondyle (bony prominence at the inner elbow) down into the forearm and wrist. Any forearm motion like gripping, or throwing exacerbates the pain.
On touching the elbow, there can be tenderness at the site of the medial epicondyle. There may be some stiffness due to the presence of fibrous tissue or the presence of calcification. Individuals may experience weakness in the flexor muscles. Along the distribution of the ulnar nerve, there may be some tingling and numbness.
How To Treat Golfer’s Elbow
Stretching and golfer’s elbow exercises are the first treatment for a golfer’s elbow. Counterforce which is basically a brace wrapped around the forearm slightly below the elbow applies some pressure on the muscle and eases the pain. Cortisone injections have been used to reduce inflammation in the past, but they can cause further tendon injury and are not recommended. Surgery is another treatment option. Surgical procedures involve the release of the common flexor tendon at the epicondyle. Another surgical option is the mini-open muscle resection.
At the Centeno-Schultz Clinic (CSC), surgery is not considered until all other options have been exhausted. Instead, our team highly recommends prolotherapy, bone marrow concentrate, and platelet-rich plasma therapy as treatment options in certain patients given their severity of condition and other factors. Depending on the treatment, golfers’elbow recovery time varies.
6. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Golf carpal tunnel can develop due to repeated bending of the wrist and narrowing of the carpal tunnel.
Symptoms and Causes
In golf, carpal tunnel syndrome occurs due to injury, most often compression, of the median nerve. The median nerve passes through the carpal tunnel, supplying the wrist and hand with movement and sensation. The bones of the wrist form the floor of the tunnel and the thick ligament, the transverse carpal ligament, forms the roof.
Along with the median nerve, flexor tendons of the forearm also pass through the tunnel. When there is inflammation of any of these tendons due to overuse or tears, this can compress the median nerve. This leads to weakness of the wrist muscles which causes poor grip, inability to carry out precise fine movements of the fingers, pain, tingling, and numbness in the wrist.
How To Treat Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
To treat carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) first, start with some gentle stretching exercises to relieve pressure on the wrist. Night-time wrist splinting can relieve pressure on the wrist and reduce pain. Ease grip pressure during the golf swing and modify activities that require frequent wrist flexion like typing or fine finger movements. Wear gloves to cushion the wrists while playing. Regenerative therapy with PRP and bone marrow concentrate can also be used to treat CTS. Finally, surgery is another option for those who have chronic CTS that is not relieved with pain.
7. Golfer’s Back Injuries
Golfer’s back injuries can cause back pain in the upper back, left-sidedpain, lower back pain, and mid back pain for a variety of reasons. This is because golf is a one-sided sport that places more strain on one side of the body than the other.
Symptoms and Causes
Low back pain is one of the most common injuries seen in golfers. It most often develops from a combination of weak core and gluteal muscles, limited hip mobility, and tight or stiff muscles and ligaments. During the golf swing, these imbalances place excessive stress on the muscles, joints, and discs of the lower spine and hips.
Symptoms can range from a dull, aching pain in the lower back to sharper pain that may radiate into one side of the buttock or leg. Some golfers experience numbness or tingling in the thigh or leg, stiffness, or difficulty bending, rotating, or completing a full swing. In more severe cases, pain may worsen with prolonged standing, walking, or playing multiple rounds.
How Golf Back Injuries Are Treated
Treatment depends on the underlying cause of the pain. If imaging reveals a disc herniation or nerve compression, care is directed toward reducing pressure on the affected nerve and restoring normal spinal function.
For most golfers, however, back pain can be treated successfully without surgery. Initial treatment typically includes a period of activity modification along with a targeted physical therapy program. Therapy focuses on improving flexibility, strengthening the core and gluteal muscles, and correcting movement patterns that overload the spine.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) may help reduce pain and inflammation in the short term but are not recommended for long-term use. Additional supportive treatments such as deep tissue massage, manual therapy, or acupuncture can be helpful for relieving muscle tightness and spasms. If these modalities do not alleviate symptoms, consideration of platelet-rich plasma treatment to the appropriate structures of the spine may be recommended by your Centeno-Schultz Clinic physician.
The goal of treatment is not only pain relief, but also restoring proper movement and stability so golfers can return to play safely and reduce the risk of recurrent injury.
8. Golf Wrist Injury
If your wrist hurts from golf, it is more than likely due to tendonitis. This is an inflammation of the tendons due to the repetitive action of swinging the golf club.
Symptoms and Causes
Wrist injuries in golfers most commonly occur when the club strikes the ground, a hidden tree root, or another hard surface during the swing. These sudden impacts transmit force directly into the wrist and hand. Wrist pain can also develop from poor swing mechanics—particularly when parts of the swing are overly fast or abrupt rather than smooth and controlled—placing excessive strain on the tendons.
The wrist contains two primary groups of tendons: those that flex the wrist and thumb, and those that extend (straighten) the wrist. Inflammation of the flexor tendons along the thumb side of the wrist can lead to a condition known as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. This typically causes pain at the base of the thumb, difficulty gripping the club, pain with wrist or thumb movement, and discomfort even during light activities.
Inflammation of the extensor tendons, which straighten the wrist, more commonly causes pain along the back of the wrist. Golfers may notice pain during impact, reduced grip strength, stiffness, or worsening symptoms after a round of golf.
How Golf Wrist Injuries Are Treated
Initial treatment for most golf-related wrist injuries focuses on protecting the injured tissues while promoting optimal healing and early recovery. This typically begins with a brief period of activity modification rather than complete rest, allowing pain and inflammation to settle without unnecessary deconditioning.
Relative loading is introduced as symptoms allow, encouraging gentle, pain-free movement to maintain mobility and circulation. Ice may be used selectively for short periods (up to 15–20 minutes) to help manage pain, particularly after activity, but it is no longer considered essential for healing and should not replace movement-based rehabilitation.
The overall goal is to reduce excessive strain on the wrist while supporting tissue repair, restoring normal motion, and gradually reintroducing functional loading to prevent stiffness, weakness, and delayed recovery.
Wrist braces or supports may be used temporarily to limit painful motion and reduce strain on the affected tendons. Equipment modifications can also be helpful- your golf professional can help with finding a fitter who can make appropriate recommendations to fit your swing.
Rehabilitation is an important part of recovery. Strengthening the core and improving overall swing mechanics helps generate power from the torso rather than relying excessively on the wrists. Proper wrist alignment during the swing and avoiding excessive wrist motion beyond what is required for the shot can significantly reduce stress on the tendons and help prevent recurrence.
With appropriate treatment and correction of contributing factors, most golfers are able to return to play safely and without long-term limitations.
9. Golf Hip Injury
Hip pain during golf is fairly common since the hip is responsible for generating swing torque and shifting weight during the swing cycle. You’ve probably heard it many times, “it’s all in the hips” when golfers talk about the golf swing.
Symptoms and Causes
The golf swing requires the hips to generate power while simultaneously stabilizing the body against gravity and rotational forces. This repetitive motion places significant demands on the hip flexor and extensor muscle groups. Over time—particularly in golfers with limited hip mobility, inefficient swing mechanics, or an incomplete release—these muscles can become tight, overworked, and strained.
Hip strain is often compounded by underlying issues such as lower back pain, knee pain, or weak core muscles. When these areas are not functioning optimally, the hips are forced to absorb additional stress, increasing the risk of injury.
Common symptoms include tightness or soreness in the front or back of the hip, aching or burning pain along the thigh that may radiate toward the knee, stiffness in the front hip joint, and discomfort during rotation or weight transfer in the swing.
How Golf Hip Injuries Are Treated
Hip pain in golfers should be properly evaluated to determine whether symptoms are coming from muscular overload or from the hip joint itself. In some cases, imaging may be necessary to rule out conditions such as stress fractures, labral injury, loose bodies, or osteoarthritis, particularly when pain is persistent or worsening.
For most overuse-related hip injuries, treatment is focused on restoring mobility, strength, and proper movement patterns. Manual therapies such as soft tissue mobilization or targeted muscle release may help reduce muscle tension in the hip flexors and extensors. A structured physical therapy program is often central to recovery, emphasizing hip mobility, gluteal and core strengthening, and improved pelvic control during rotation.
Adjunctive therapies such as cupping, massage, etc may provide short-term relief of muscle soreness for some individuals, but are best used as a complement—not a replacement—to active rehabilitation. The overall goal of treatment is to reduce excessive strain on the hips, improve load sharing throughout the kinetic chain, and allow a safe, durable return to golf.
10. Golf Knee Injury
Golfers knee injury due to golf includes ligament tears, meniscus tears, muscle sprains, and tendonitis. This mainly occurs due to the pivoting and swinging motion in golf. Below are a few symptoms and causes of knee injuries in golf.
Symptoms and Causes
Meniscus injuries are among the most common knee injuries seen in golfers. The menisci are crescent-shaped cartilage structures that act as shock absorbers between the thigh bone (femur) and shin bone (tibia), helping distribute load and stabilize the knee. However, the meniscus is often injured as a result of chronic instability of the ligamentous structures of the knee.
During the golf swing, the knee is exposed to rapid rotation, flexion, and extension—often under significant force. Repetitive twisting motions, especially when combined with poor hip mobility, limited ankle motion, or suboptimal swing mechanics, can place excessive stress on the meniscus and lead to tearing over time. Age-related wear and tear can further weaken the meniscus tissue and surrounding joint structures, increasing susceptibility to injury.
Common symptoms of a golf-related knee injury include localized knee pain, swelling, stiffness, painful clicking or popping sensations, a feeling of catching or locking in the joint, difficulty fully bending or straightening the knee, and pain that may radiate up the thigh or down toward the calf. Symptoms often worsen with walking, squatting, or rotational movements.
How Golf Knee Injuries Are Treated
Treatment begins with a thorough evaluation to determine the source of pain and whether symptoms are related to a meniscal tear, cartilage wear, ligament strain, or joint overload. In many cases, imaging may be used to better define the underlying problem and guide treatment decisions.
For most golfers, initial care focuses on conservative management. This includes activity modification rather than complete rest, along with a structured physical therapy program. Physical therapy targets movement mechanics, posture, hip and ankle mobility, and strengthening of the muscles that support and stabilize the knee. Improving how forces are transferred through the lower body can significantly reduce stress on the knee joint during the swing.
For golfers with persistent knee pain who do not improve with rehabilitation alone, regenerative treatment options may be considered. These include image-guided injections using the patient’s own biologic materials, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or bone marrow concentrate. These procedures are designed to support the body’s natural healing response by delivering concentrated growth factors and repair cells directly to the injured area.
The goal of treatment is to reduce pain, improve joint function, preserve native tissue when possible, and help golfers return to play safely—often without the need for surgery.
11. Foot & Ankle Injury
Ankle injury is possible with golf, both as a result of the golf swing but also the undulations of the course can result in injury. During the swing, the center of gravity shifts and can affect the feet and ankles. This can stress the smaller foot muscles, connective tissues, and ankle joints.
Symptoms and Causes
The golf swing requires balance and efficient weight transfer through the feet and ankles. During the backswing, weight shifts away from the lead foot as the trail foot accepts increasing load, while the hips and torso rotate. At the top of the backswing, the majority of a golfer’s weight is supported by the trail foot. During the downswing and impact, weight rapidly transfers back to the lead foot, and by the finish position, body weight is supported on the front foot.
This repeated loading and unloading of the feet and ankles—combined with prolonged standing and walking during a round—places significant stress on the soft tissues of the foot and ankle. Over time, this can lead to overuse injuries such as plantar fasciitis, ankle tendinopathy, joint irritation, or ligament strain, particularly in golfers with poor footwear support, limited ankle mobility, or inefficient weight transfer mechanics.
Common symptoms include heel pain (especially first-step pain), pain in the ball of the foot, soreness along the inside or outside of the ankle, stiffness, and discomfort that worsens during or after play.
How Golf Foot and Ankle Injuries Are Treated
Treatment begins with a focused evaluation to determine whether symptoms are coming from soft tissue overload, joint irritation, or mechanical imbalances in foot structure or gait. Rather than prolonged rest, initial care typically involves activity modification to reduce excessive strain while maintaining healthy movement.
Footwear plays an important role in recovery. Well-fitted golf shoes with adequate cushioning and stability can help improve traction during the swing while limiting unnecessary foot and ankle motion. Assessment by a foot and ankle specialist may identify biomechanical issues such as arch collapse or excessive pronation, which can often be addressed with custom orthotics or supportive insoles.
Targeted rehabilitation focuses on improving ankle mobility, foot intrinsic muscle strength, and balance, helping the lower extremity tolerate rotational forces more efficiently. In some cases, a temporary ankle brace may provide additional stability during play while strength and control are being restored.
For golfers with persistent or chronic symptoms that do not improve with conservative care, orthobiologic treatment options may be considered. These therapies are designed to support tissue healing and reduce ongoing inflammation using the body’s own biologic mechanisms.
The overall goal of treatment is to restore efficient load transfer through the feet and ankles, reduce pain, and allow a safe return to golf while minimizing the risk of recurrence.
How To Prevent Golfers’ Injuries?
The majority of golf injuries can be prevented by taking a few steps every time you train. Prevention also involves improving overall health, strength, and flexibility both in the golf swing and life in general. Here are some ways you can prevent golf injuries.
Warm-Up and Cool-Down
A proper warm-up before golf is essential for reducing injury risk and improving performance. Gradually increasing activity prepares muscles, tendons, joints, and cartilage for the demands of the golf swing by improving blood flow, joint lubrication, and neuromuscular coordination. A dynamic warm-up helps tissues tolerate rotational forces and reduces the risk of muscle strain or joint irritation.
After a round, a brief cool-down is equally important. Light movement and gentle stretching help normalize heart rate and circulation, reduce post-exercise stiffness, and may lessen the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Cooling down also supports recovery so the body is better prepared for future play.
Strength Train With Proper Technique
Strength training can significantly improve swing efficiency, power, and injury resilience when performed correctly. Because golf is inherently asymmetrical—placing greater demands on one side of the body—poorly designed training programs can worsen muscle imbalances and increase injury risk.
A well-structured strength program focuses on balanced development of the core, hips, legs, and upper body, emphasizing proper technique and controlled movement. Addressing asymmetries through targeted strengthening can reduce excess stress on the spine and joints and help protect the non-dominant side of the body.
Choose Proper Golf Equipment
Appropriate equipment plays an important role in injury prevention. Golf shoes should provide adequate arch support and stability to help control excessive foot motion and improve balance during the swing. Club length, shaft and clubhead specifics should be matched to the golfer’s height, strength, and swing mechanics to minimize unnecessary strain on the wrists, back, and joints.
Professional club fitting can be especially helpful for golfers who experience recurrent pain or are returning to play after injury.
Build Endurance and Flexibility
Maintaining flexibility allows for a smoother, more efficient golf swing and reduces stress on muscles and joints. Tight or restricted muscles limit range of motion, forcing the body to compensate in ways that increase injury risk. Regular mobility work, dynamic stretching, and activities such as yoga, tai chi, swimming, or cycling can improve overall flexibility and movement quality.
Endurance and strength training help muscles tolerate repeated swings without early fatigue. When muscles fatigue, joint loading increases, raising the risk of overuse injuries. Improving muscular endurance allows golfers to maintain proper mechanics throughout a round and across multiple days of play.
Improve Swing Mechanics With Professional Instruction
Swing mechanics are a major contributor to both performance and injury risk. Working with a qualified golf professional or swing coach can help identify movement patterns that place excessive stress on the spine, hips, wrists, or knees. Identifying and correcting injury-inducing mechanics not only improves consistency and power, but also reduces unnecessary strain on the body.
Combining professional instruction with physical conditioning and mobility training provides the most effective approach to long-term injury prevention in golfers.
How Centeno-Schultz Can Help
The Centeno-Schultz Clinic has a dedicated team of board-certified physicians and physical therapy that does not just focus on treating your golf injuries but preventing future ones as well. The doctors are keen on trying non-surgical alternatives for common golf injuries including regenerative medicine. If you have golf injuries, try one of our regenerative approaches instead of surgery.
Cure your injuries or get a quick consultation with our doctors!
References
- Walsh BA, Chounthirath T, Friedenberg L, Smith GA. Golf-related injuries treated in United States emergency departments. Am J Emerg Med. 2017;35(11):1666-1671. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2017.05.035
