Insecurities about proper form, swing and power plague a golfer's mind and affect the mental aspect of the game. However, outside influences, such as your health, not only affect your mental and physical game but also transform it. Being diagnosed with breast cancer and then becoming a survivor present mental and physical challenges for golfers hoping to return to the course. Whether you had surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or all 3, regaining your form, strengthening your swing and revisiting your game are possible.
Instructions
1. Address your limited range of motion. Stiffness in your shoulder results from the surgery and affects the fluidity of your swing and your putting abilities. Whether you had a breast or lymph node biopsy, breast conservation or reconstruction surgery, or a mastectomy, the short-term effect can be handled with physical therapy and exercise.
2. Regain your strength. Exercises help decrease the adverse affects of surgery and increase your range of motion. Establishing an exercise routine with your physical therapist provides the structure and correct time frame for rebuilding muscle and avoiding injuries.
3. Get an early start. Some exercises can be done as soon as your surgery has ended given that you've consulted your doctor and the stitches have been removed. Exercises include arm raises, bending and straightening your elbows, grip strengthening and deep-breathing exercises involving your core. You can then slowly build toward more complex exercises that will help pace your rehabilitation, such as shoulder blade stretches and squeezes, side-bending, wand exercises, elbow winging, chest wall stretches and shoulder stretches.
4. Be patient. If you had radiation therapy, you may need to wait 6 to 9 months after the treatment finishes before starting an exercise routine. But, it's important to remain on track as the exercise will help maintain the flexibility in your shoulder and arm.
5. Address long-term effects. Lymphedema causes swelling in your arms or hands that lasts a couple of hours after playing golf or even hitting a bucket of balls on the range. Using a compression garment, such as a bandage or sleeve, can help minimize the effects. Some clinicians recommend massage therapy, complete decongestive therapy, intermittent pneumatic compression or surgery.
6. Practice your swing. Many women worry about the effects of a mastectomy on their golf swing. However, breast removal does not dramatically affect your swing. Get back on the course and practice the fundamentals. Start slowly by focusing on your short game, such as pitching, chipping and putting, which require only half a swing. Then, work your way up to the distance game and power strokes.
7. Search for support groups. Being around women with the same goals provides a sense of hope and understanding that increases your commitment to return to the game.
Tags: your swing, affect your, exercise routine, mental physical, range motion, will help, your shoulder
