I am often asked by amateur golfers why they have the same physical injuries that the PGA golfers have but they don't heal and get back to playing as fast as the professional golfers on tour.
One thing to remember is that no two injuries are the same. Two people can have a diagnosis of sciatica but the causes may be very different. Those causes will dictate how you will respond to treatment. The more accurate the diagnosis the better the treatment outcome. Golf assessments on a professional level are detailed and comprehensive. Physical examination and radiological procedures are extensive to specifically determine the cause of injury. Often the amateur golfer or athlete is constrained by insurance requirements and availability of specialists and diagnostic equipment. There cannot be any time constraints regarding efficient evaluation and treatment with professional golfers. Any delay in evaluating injuries directly impacts recovery time and is just too costly for a professional athlete. On a professional sports level injuries are evaluated very efficiently.
Treatments on professional athletes and PGA golfers are very comprehensive. Once a diagnosis is confirmed the sports medicine specialist is adept at providing a variety of therapeutic approaches. The PGA golfer is evaluated pre and post treatment to constantly assess the effectiveness of the procedures used. Also the PGA golfer can be treated two to three times per day without any treatments being the same. Different manual and therapeutic approaches that complement each other are used to support continual healing. Rarely is the clinician doing the same approach over and over.
Lastly you have to consider the conditioning level of the individual being treated. Currently you will see most PGA golfers arriving on tour having trained and conditioned their bodies for golf's demands. There is a whole generation of golfers that grew up influenced by Tiger Woods and it is very evident on the PGA Tour. Conditioned athletes will always respond better to treatments than non-conditioned individuals.
All of this makes working with professional golfers challenging and exciting. Often it provides a template for assessment and treatment that filters to the college and high school levels. The more information that everyone has access to that has been proven effective on the professional level is good for everyone.
Overall you benefit. Golf benefits.
