If you need any reminder that playing golf can lead to severe injuries, look no further than Tiger Woods. Though the golf legend seems to be making his comeback in 2018, he endured years of traumatic injuries that impacted his athletic career as well as his personal life. Cartilage damage requiring arthroscopic surgery, reconstructive surgery on the ACL in his left knee, a pinched nerve in his back, and far too many unsuccessful back surgeries are just a few of the issues he has experienced. Woods is a walking, talking showcase of the physical consequences of playing golf.

At Bennett Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. William Bennett utilizes platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatments to help his patients overcome a wide range of golf injuries. If your favorite sport has damaged your shoulder, elbow, back, or hip, Dr. Bennett has the experience and skill to repair your golf injury with PRP.

How Does PRP Work?

PRP accelerates and enhances the body’s natural healing processes. It harnesses the power of platelets found in the blood. Platelets carry a number of essential proteins and enzymes called growth factors that support tissue healing and battle inflammation.

Dr. Bennett completes every PRP procedure by drawing a small amount of blood and placing it into a centrifuge to spin and concentrate the platelets. Those platelets are suspended in a small amount of the patient’s own plasma and immediately injected into the injury site guided by ultrasound technology. Many athletes experience symptom relief in just days, and most return to full, uninhibited play in just weeks!

Most Common Golf Injuries Treated with PRP

Since PRP is so versatile, it can be used to treat a number of golf injuries. Rotator cuff tendonitis is very common among golf players and is often treated with NSAIDS and cortisone injections, but neither of those treatments actually support healing. They merely mask pain while the injury worsens. PRP is a far more efficient and long-lasting treatment method.

In a study that compared the results of rotator cuff tendonitis treated with PRP compared to corticosteroid injections, patients who received PRP demonstrated significant improvements in their range of motion and pain level after three months. After one year, only 3 patients in the PRP group had to undergo surgery for the condition, while a full 48 patients who received corticosteroids required surgical intervention.

Elbow injuries are also common, especially in players who grip the club too tightly and cause increased strain in the tendons around the elbow. The same goes for lower back injuries caused by the rotational loads and shear and lateral bending in the lumbar spine involved in playing golf. For golfers who play and practice regularly, as Tiger Woods proved, back injuries are nearly inevitable.

Fortunately, PRP can tackle all of these injuries in conjunction with or in place of surgery to stimulate accelerated healing in the injured tissue. PRP carries a number of important growth factors that fight inflammation and support tissue healing, which makes it possible for PRP to function differently than other sports injury treatments. It can be injected directly at the site of injury to stimulate accelerated tissue healing.

If you are seeking relief from your own sports injury and want a treatment that supports long-term healing instead of temporarily masking pain, call (941) 281-5776 to make an appointment at Bennett Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Sarasota, Venice, or Bradenton, Florida. Dr. Bennett has successfully treated tendon, ligament, cartilage, and muscle injuries with PRP, so he can heal your injury with the expertise you need.