You must have heard the old chestnut before. “Golf,” the pundits like to say, “is flog spelled backwards.” The funny thing is that the smart alecks may be right. Although golfers ostensibly engage in the sport to be able to live more active and healthy lifestyles, the wrong habits and stances may wreak havoc on one’s bones, tendons, ligaments, nerves and muscles. If not corrected, the effect could be long-term pain, serious injury or outright debilitation.
The Golf Performance and Sports Rehabilitation Centre at Asian Hospital and Medical Center provides “golf specific physical training to help golfers perform at peak levels, maintain a competitive edge, and enjoy a healthier, pain-free lifestyle.” It is the only one of its kind in Asia, and is equipped with a state-of-the-art GoLo GolfBody Screen. The device which was developed by golf professional William Breland, is used to assess posture, balance, swing speed and ability to “achieve optimal club positions. It is a 40-point virtual swing assessment that does more than just lower your handicap. More importantly, it lowers the probability of incurring an injury during a game. “As in any other sport, you may not notice the harm to your body. But at a certain time you will experience pain,” explains Jun Amistoso, marketing director for Asian Hospital. “Any ache or pain that forces a player to alter his or her golf games interferes with swing or stance, can be considered a golf injury. Most of these golf-related injuries are caused by faulty biomechanics, either in the stance or swing phase.”
A vital service offered by the center for serious golfers is Golf Shape Rx. This is a thorough musculoskeletal evaluation and swing assessment where one will be getting balance and cardiovascular fitness training, as well as a customized exercise prescription. Golf therapy is available for those who already incurred injuries and have soft tissue restrictions, while Golf Stretch is a program that focuses on the muscle groups used in golf. It is geared towards improving circulation and understanding the body’s natural rhythm, which, in turn is expected to substantially improve one’s execution of biomechanics.
Just as important is Golf Xercise, or a personal exercise program that will identify and address physically limiting factors that hamper one’s golf abilities. Performance-enhancing exercises in this program are speed training, power training, transition drills, coordination drills, impact position drills, strengthening, stretching, reactive exercise, dynamic balance training and cardiovascular exercise. Although all these may sound Greek to the non-golfing individual, the serious sportsman is aware that any of these skills may ultimately win the game.
For a comprehensive assessment, a master golf specialist makes a video swing analysis, and recommends training accordingly. It makes sense that even young golfers avail of the services of the Golf Performance Center to acquire the right habits and avoid injury. There is no reason to fret, however, if some injury has been incurred. An individualized post- sport injury rehabilitation program that uses the latest return-to-play exercise protocols is available at the center.
Both golfers and ordinary people who are concerned with overall good health will be also pleased to know that Asian Hospital offers customized health- screening programs. The Lifestyle Screening Program starts with cost- effective health screening packages for particular age groups. The rationale behind this is that people are predisposed to health risks at certain ages, thus, a series of diagnostic tests are put together for them. A Prevention Package that includes screening tests for episodic health problems, early-onset hypertension and diabetes, infertility, family planning, pregnancy and others, is recommended for individuals 39 years old and below. The Awareness Package designed for individuals 40-49 years old includes screening tests for chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, urologic problems and impotence, while the Maintenance Package recommended for individuals 50 years old and above also tests for degenerative diseases.
Another facility at Asian Hospital is the Sleep Laboratory to monitor and treat sleep apnea, a disorder usually characterized by snoring, wherein a person stops breathing while asleep. Without proper oxygenation and good night’s sleep, a person may fall asleep at inappropriate times, suffer from morning headaches or memory problems, have feelings of depression, and experience a host of physiological problems. Clearly, treatment of the condition will positively affect lifestyle and golfers with apnea may discover that treatment may significantly improve their game. Indeed, for avid disciples of the sport, golf is serious health business.
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Golf Performance and Rehabilitation Center is at the lower ground floor of Asian Hospital and Medical Center, 2205 Civic Drive, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang Muntinlupa, with telephone numbers 771-9000 to 9002 extension 8018. Or email rehab@asianhospital.com. Log on to www.asianhospital.com for more information.
