Week 26: Getting back on course after an injury

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There are several important things to remember when returning from an injury.

For every athlete, injuries are a part of life. It is a rare athlete who can perform at a sport over a long period of time without ever suffering some kind of pain or injury. Here are several tips on how to get your golf swing back as quickly as possible after a physical setback.

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Follow your doctor's advice
Even the best professional athletes in the world sometimes return from an injury too quickly. Your ability to train and play through pain should have no bearing on when you return to the course. Until a doctor tells you that you are not risking a recurrence of your injury, try to be as patient as you can and wait until your body heals properly.

Keep your fitness up
Ask your doctor if there are other physical activities you can do to stay fit while you wait for your injury to heal. A knee injury may not prevent you from working on upper body strength. An elbow injury will not usually keep you off a recumbent bike. Use the injury as an opportunity to discover new activities and exercises that can help you return to form faster.

Regain your range of motion
If your injury required you not to use a specific body part for a while, chances are that you have lost some range of motion in that area. Your first goal when you return should be to regain as much of that flexibility as possible. If your injury required surgery, this could mean months of rehab. Do not get discouraged. You are making an investment in your quality of life.

Work on your strength
Once you have regained the range of motion you need, it is now time to find your strength again. Start slowly with light weightlifting to regain the power you lost because of inactivity. Many athletes actually come back to a sport stronger than they were before they were injured. An injury can help you focus on your training and give you the motivation to get better off the course. As you begin to strengthen that area, do not ignore pain. If it hurts to exercise, consult your doctor before you proceed.

Ease your way back to the course
Once you feel fit and have your doctor's blessing, you have one last obstacle to overcome -- your mind. An athlete tends to favor a previously injured area, even when it feels 100% better. Start slow until you gain confidence. If the rest of your body is compensating to cover for your injury, other physical problems may arise. Once you realize that you are at full strength again, you will feel better than you did before you were injured.

Not every pain requires an extended stay away from the golf course. If knee pain is preventing you from performing at your best, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is for patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple pain relievers like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy. ORTHOVISC® is not for use in people with known allergy to hyaluronate preparations, to gram bacterial proteins, with infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site or joint. Common side effects include joint pain, back pain, headaches and pain or redness at the injection site.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.