Golf can be tough on your body if you play it all the time. This is especially true if you are not in good shape overall and you decide to tackle lots of hours of golf all of a sudden. Chest pain can be a common side effect of excessive play or play with an injury that is not fully healed. If you are having chest pain when you play, you need to learn more about the common reasons that this might be happening.
Golf Swings Causing Chest Pain
The most common reason that you might feel pain in your chest related to golfing is costochondritis. This is an inflammation of the thoracic muscles, and it can include irritation of the tissues between the ribs. You should make sure that you always get checked out for heart issues if you are having heart pain at any time, but if you have been cleared of this kind of problem, then inflammation is likely the root cause.
You will most often experience this kind of chest pain related to your golf swing if you are exerting more force than your body is able to handle. This can mean that you need to adjust the clubs that you are using, head to the gym to strengthen your chest and core muscles or take a break from playing to heal up from these injuries before coming back to your play as usual.
You should consider taking a break for at least a week to let your muscles and tissues rest. Things like stretching, Pilates, and yoga can help with recovery from this kind of injury and can also help support your return to play when you head back to the course. You should be sure that you always do a balance of exercise from stretching, to weight training, to having fun playing a round of golf as usual.
Caring for sore muscles before they are truly inflamed can help you to stay on the course and away from rehab. You will also be more likely to avoid injury if you are providing supportive care for your body in between golfing sessions.
Chest Pain Related to Golf is Often Inflammation
If you have been having chest pain after playing a round of golf, always head to your doctor to be checked out first and foremost. If you are cleared of any heart troubles, and you have not torn anything, you can work to prevent this kind of chest pain by making sure to stretch and care for your body properly and being sure that you are not using too much force when you are swinging your golf clubs. The most supportive care that you can provide for your body in between golfing sessions, the less likely you will be to experience pain and discomfort associated with your hours of golf on the actual course.
This article was last updated on August 18, 2023 .
