Tendonitis
Tendonitis is the inflammation of one’s tendons. This caan happen anywhere in the body and can cause a lot of pain. Tendons are the soft tissues of the body that connect muscles to bones, allowing movement of the bones. When these tendons are overused or injured, they can become swollen. In golf, the most common places where tendonitis is seen would be in the wrists and elbows from the force that they take when swinging a club. In fact, there is even a name for tendonitis in the elbows known as golfer’s elbow. The repetitive movements of golf can eventually put too much stress on the tendons of the elbows, making them feel sore and tight. This can also cause discomfort to the hands and wrists because of how the tendons connect.

Yoga can help with preventing tendonitis by promoting deep stretches in the tendons throughout the body and improving their mobility. This allows the tendons to be stretchier, taking less impact during golf swings, and making them more mobile during repeated movements. Yoga stretches activates the lymph nodes in the joints which boosts the immune systems of the body .

Back and Neck Pain
Due to the fact that the back is often rounded when swinging, and the back of the body takes a lot of pressure, it is easy to see how the neck and back can be injured when playing golf. In fact, back pain is one of the most common golfing injuries. Low back pain is especially prevalent in golfers from muscle strain, intense rotation, and quick motions during swings. Since golf can negatively impact one’s posture from standing incorrectly, having a yoga practice can help to realign the spine, promoting the natural curve of the back and proper posture.

Joint Pain
Just like the tendons, the joints take a lot of pressure when golfing. This can cause pinching and even swelling in the muscles of the joints, especially in the ball and socket joints. If used incorrectly, joints can easily be injured. This is most commonly seen in the rotator cuff. Injuring rotator cuffs can happen quite often when golfing, and is even one of the most common injuries. Other commonly injured joints include the knees, hips, elbows, and wrists. Yoga helps to increase rotation and mobility in the joints while promoting their stability. This makes it less likely to injure them. If you deal with joint pain but want to start a yoga practice, you can always roll the end of your mat or use pads beneath the particularly sore joint for extra support.