Last night, against the pleas of my foursome, I tried to jump back across a creek after retrieving a disc. I landed on a log and my left foot slipped off and totally bent backwards. Luckily nothing popped, but I've got a decent sprain. Fortunately, this is one of my worst DG injuries.

Others I've had include a whiplash-like pulling of my neck/upper back muscles from trying to throw far and watch my shot, and I once partially pulled my groin throwing a thumber.

I'm sure someone's got some better stories...I also want to know what some of the most common injuries are and how to avoid them. I could have avoided my ankle sprain by using my brain and realizing I'm now over 30 and I should use the crossing.... ;)

Not really a story but i have recently been suffering from severe back problems as a result of Disc Golf. I have found out that its not as uncommon as i thought. As a matter of fact, many disc golfers experience the same type of lower back pain from the result of constant twisting of the back.
I wonder if any one else can comment on this. I have talked with a few guys about it that have experienced the same problem.
So far the only really answer for recovery that i can come up with is chiropracting and time-off.
Thoughts.....?????

My shoulder has never been the same since I started trying to throw long with bad form. It pops if I raise my arm above my head. It's been like that for about four years.

Last summer I torqued my knee so bad I couldn't walk for about a week, again from using bad form.

When looking for a disc that a friend lost in tall grass I ran into a downed tree and I had a 2" diameter branch embed in my knee. I broke the branch off and it was sticking out of my leg. I've got a sweet scar from that one :p

On the course I play most often there are tons of raspberry bushes and if my throws weren't going where I wanted them to, I would come home with hundreds of scratches from the knee down and when mixed with sweat, it would make my legs look like a bloody mess. The showers after those days burned so bad...

I got my dad to come out and play with me once and he wouldn't listen to anything I told him because he's one of the most stubborn people I know. He tried throwing all of his shots with this weird style... imagine standing facing the target, holding the disc next to the hip of the hand you throw with, then trying to do a softball pitch but releasing the disc at a level angle... He put his back out after four holes and couldn't move for two weeks.

Thoughts.....?????



Try doing more (if any) core exercises. Invest in one of those gym balls.

Not really a story but i have recently been suffering from severe back problems as a result of Disc Golf. ... So far the only really answer for recovery that i can come up with is chiropracting and time-off.
Thoughts.....?????

Chiropractic cannot solve the underlying problem. Assuming you throw mostly one way with mostly one arm playing mostly one game, you have a weird imbalance of muscles in your back. Chiropractic can put things back in place, but that weird muscle imbalance will just pull it all out again.

If you throw RHBH it really helps a lot to take some practice throws LHBH. This is advice you'll ignore, I know, but someone might try it. My osteopath gave me this advice in the early 1990s and I ignored it for ten years. This guy authors the textbook they use for osteopathic biomechanics and I think, "What does he know about disc golf?" Dumb me. Try not to be as dumb as me.

This is advice you'll ignore, I know, but someone might try it. My osteopath gave me this advice in the early 1990s and I ignored it for ten years.



Starting my 10 year countdown ... now! :D

I've been more consistent lately with stretching and warming up before a round and I've been less sore and recover more quickly afterwards as a result.
Losing weight takes pressure off knees hammered by years and years of basketball and tennis on asphalt courts (I'm hoping, anyway).
Good shoes that fit your feet help, as well.
IBUPROFEN!

So Bruce, what are u saying? If Chiropracting wont help, then what? is it a product of bad form? should i try to change my form?
And about practising throwing LHBH....is this to try to straighten my back offsetting what throwing RHBH does?

I guess im not really quite getting ur advice is.
I dont want to go through the heaing process by taking time off only to return back and hurting it again. so that kinda goes along with my question above.
any of thoughts from anyone?

if ur suggesting that i need to work on my L to R shots, i have a killer sidearm, so need to worry about that!
On a serious note, would throwing more sidearm have any affect on my back in a positive or negative way?
(i know ur not a back expert, but any bit of advice goes a long way!)

My most severe injury was shoulder impengement. I belive mostly caused by putting exessively. I would putt for hours then get mad and putt even harder...every day for months. Bad practice, bad form = injury and little gain. I went for about 2 weeks being unable to use my right shoulder at all and almost 6 months before i could practice putting again. Went to the doc and have been doing PT ever since...its amazing what a stretchy band and the correct exercises can do. You'll know you have impengement if you do things like plug in a power cord , or try to lift a towel off of a hook and feel weakness and pain. Often you can flex your shoulder and get through the motion...but it will eventually get worse unless steps are taken.

I have also torn my delt. I know I did cause of all the bruising. I remember clearly on a Thursday not warming up, and feeling a little pinch. Saturday i took Ibuprofen, Sunday I took Ibuprofen...in the last round of the tourney I threw a fairly short shot and knew i had done something bad. Could not throw for about 6 weeks. Massage, Heat, Cold very light work outs (no weight). Active rest (exersize other muscle groups).

My back still acts up from time to time, old injuries, but now i do situps twice a week...i got an exercise ball...really reduces the pressure on your back and lets you strengthen your stomach...be sure to suck your stomach in as far as you can so you focus on the lower abdominal.

Right now I have some sort of tendon strain in my hand. It seems to come and go. I guess I'm just gonna rest it.

I believe proper warm up and more core exercises would reduce a lot of injuries sustained by the over 30 crowd. Jumping jacks, stretching, jogging, swinging a towel, putt for a while, then throw putters and mids...eventually move up to drivers.

For working out I keep it really simple...I'm no body builder and want to invest my time into DG. I do not work with excessive weight on any of these exercises
Bench Press
Cable pulls (from two different angles / and \ this way you work the shoulder better...and both arms...to help your back stay balanced)
Overhead pulls (for thumbers)
Lunges
Situps (suck in your stomach)
Stretchy Band (there are like 4 different exercises here and I'm not good enough to describe them).
Bent over rows.

Sorry I wrote a book, but this is one subject I feel like I really have a lot of experience with.

As with all exercise programs conlsult a physician before begining. ;)

Bruce is trying to tell you to work both sides equally.

And I wasn't joking when I told you that you would benefit by working your core (abs, lumbar, and glutes) with the help of the "gym ball".

Well stated. As we age (and before we do, for the wise youngsters paying attention) it is all about core strength and balance. Will prevent a host of problems.

As far as gnarly dg injuries, Carl Renda's breaking his arm while throwing a thumber is the worst I've heard of.

As far as gnarly dg injuries, Carl Renda's breaking his arm while throwing a thumber is the worst I've heard of.




And having it break again (in a different spot) while throwing a forehand roller.

One of my not-so-proud moments in discgolf happened last October, I was playing in the Masters final at the EuroTour finals in Potsdam, Germany. With a steady final round, I was well in contention for a decent paycheck. I nailed a long putt with three holes to go, ran to the basket and retrieved my putter, and ran back...At least, that was my intention. My rainjacket sleeve was stuck at one of the hooks on the basket, and all my forward momentum repelled me backwards, doing almost a full salto before landing on my back. I strained my neck so badly that I fell like a rock through the field on those last three holes, ending up with no payceck at all... *sigh* And my fellow competitor's amused faces was not helping either... ;-)

Anyway, really good advice to throw some LHBH once in a while! In the early 80's, I used to throw as much LHBH as RHBH, due to competing in freestyle as well. I think I have to pass on making fancy freestyle catches though, otherwise my 45-yr old body would be more damaged then ever! :-)

Would throwing sidearm accomplish the same thing as LHBH? i would think it would, but maybe not as effective.

No.

what do u know Dvicich!

Go slowly through the motions involved with a righty forehand and a lefty backhand. Give careful emphasis to the muscles you use with each. They utilize distinctly different portions of the lower back. I was able to tell that much. I wish I could be more specific but I don't know much about biomechanics. If you go through it slowly and really emphasize the muscles utilized you'll figure out what I mean pretty quickly.


-Chris.

I try to play as much as I can (once or twice a week) and hit the practice field. My problem is I have good intentions but don't always follow through. I am pushing 50 and have some nagging injuries (not disc golf related but affecting my game: slipping on the ice 10 years ago and I still have a pop in my throwing shoulder; then there's the creaky knees from freestyling in my youth. I recently got diagnosed with arthritis and have begun Prolotherapy (injections). I am psyched that this will help!)

Three suggestions I have - stretchy bands, yoga and throwing with your off hand. Now I just have to follow my own advice.

I understand that throwing sidearm doesnt quite use the same muscles as it would if u were throwing LHBH. But, im just not seeing the benefits of throwing LHBH when you have back issues from throwing RHBH.
It just doesnt see very practical. I realize its kinda like a reversing process by throwing LHBH by utilizing the other side of your lower back, but it seems more complicated than that.

What it is is a muscular imbalance.

http://boundforhealth.org/jimmywork/muscularimbalance.htm - I don't know what it all means, but it doesn't sound good. :P

Would throwing sidearm accomplish the same thing as LHBH? i would think it would, but maybe not as effective.



Dude you just dont get it. talk to me in PM.

I get it, i really do. Im half kidding. ive been playing long enuf to know the difference between how different throws effect which muscles. I threw sidearm for the first 5 years of my DG career.
Im just wondering if going back to strictly sidearm for a while will effect my back which is messed up in the lower right side of my back from throwing RHBH.
I dont think it would very much, just dont want to take any chances.

The interesting thing is that if you take the number of regular golfers and combine it with the number of golfers that suffer from adverse conditions as a result of muscular imbalances it becomes fairly apparent that it isn't a serious threat. However, to be on the safe side, working on maintaining a balance should be a priority if only as a precaution. I believe proper weight training works just as well as throwing left handed would. Workout your whole body equally in the gym and you'll be fine.

Back in '02, I obviously got a little carried away with playing too much and had something weird happen with my wrist. I was out throwing drives in a park when my wrist suddenly started turning under. When I would reach back and pull through, my wrist would twist with the bottom of the disc turning toward the direction I was throwing. It's like I'd lose the tension in my wrist (okay, no "limp wrist" cracks). I couldn't correct it. I've never had any pain from it, and throwing a disc is the only thing that's affected by it, so it was three years before I had it looked at. The MRI showed I have a torn ligament. I never had anything done about it, but sometimes I really miss playing a decent game of golf and being able to bust one out there. Has anyone ever had anything like this happen? Has anyone had wrist surgery or other treatment to repair a similar injury and come back to play golf? What was your experience? Any advise?

So are you saying that the injury has sidelined u permanently? or at least in any higher level of play?
Man that sucks. ive never heard of that before.

I think there is definitely an underlining moral with everyones story though......
DONT BE STUPID AND WAIT TO GET URSELF CHECKED OUT IF YOU THINK UVE INJURED URSELF!

If this happened 3 years ago, your ligament is probably completely gone. If you have surgery on it now you will have to get a graft. The docs will have to screw one into the two bones where it is missing. They may get the graft from your own body or use a cadaver graft. I'm pretty sure you would have a better chance for recovery if it is from your own body/living tissue. Either way, you could easily have a full recovery as long as the tissue gets proper blood supply.

Nathan...yeah, it does suck. Very aggrivating. I can still throw, but it's very difficult to go from being competitive to being a casual player. I was just starting to cash in pro-master.

Ptery...That sounds aweful. I hope that's not the case. I'm sure kicking around doing it, though. It had actually been three years from the time of the injury when they looked at it, and it was just torn. Maybe three more years made it worse, but it still doesn't feel any different that it did then, and still no pain from it. Sometimes, I can start out not having too much of a problem and playing fairly well, and it starts happening toward the end of the round. I can still putt and thrown side arm with no problem. Weird, huh?

Summer of 2005, I was playing a casual round at Moraine State Park with some friends when I sustained a "turf toe" injury. My shoes were not tied as tight as they could have been and my plant foot slid slightly forward and tweaked my big toe upward/backward. The pain was excrutiating. I immediately hobbled off the course and was unable to play for about 12 weeks. To this day, I still experience a twinge of pain if I twist my toe a certain way (usually when I'm wearing slippers, loose-fitting sandals or just a pair of socks).

The reason I sustained the injury in the first place was because my shoes were not laced tightly. I used to simply slide my shoes on and never tightened the laces afterward. Now I tighten my shoe laces every time I put on a pair of shoes and have not experienced any pain while wearing laced up shoes. Several web sites I've referenced have commented that "turf toe" inuries can last for years. So far that statement holds true for me. The moral of the story? Tighten your shoe laces!

A tough one for me is to recognize when I'm sore and when I'm injured. I am a nose to the grindstone kind of guy. I keep on working on a project till its done. Sadly I applied this thinking to DG in the extreme. It just doesn't work that way...you have to push your body, but listen to it at the same time.

I went to the Chiropractor for the first time ever for disc golf, two summers ago. He asked if I had tripped or stepped in a hole. I kept saying it was from disc golf, but the real answer was yes. Now when my back hurts, I can always think of an instance when I stepped in a hole or tripped, while carrying my disc golf bag. Maybe that sudden jarring has more to do with back pain then the disc golf motion. I have been stretching and doing more crunches and core type exercises since going to see the Chiropractor and have not had to go back.

3 years ago I was out at a small local 9 hole course. We were on hole 2's teepad and my first shot was not a great one. So.. since it was just a rec round i thought id try another shot (big mistake). I ran up and ripped the disc as hard as i could since it was an uphill hole and required almost everything i had to get it there. The course was in the middle of a renovation and some of the grass had been removed so all there was, was a big mud puddle at the end of the pad. I definately foot faulted off the end of the pad a slipped in the mud. As most people do, i tried to catch myself as I was falling. didnt work! I ended up landing on my leg in a wierd position which resulted in a broken leg and dislocated ankle. So after a 13,000$ surgery I had a metal plate and 8 screws inserted in my leg and ankle to pull it back into place. It was the worst pain I ever felt in my life. I knew it was broken right away-and I have never had a broken bone before this. But I still tried to stand up and walk it off, and fell right back on my face! It was horrible timing, right in the middle of the tournament season. So I had to take 3 months off, little did the doctors know, Im a hardcore golfer and I must get out every so often. Disc golf on crutches and in a wheel chair is exhausting! Def. improved my accuracy though since i wasnt able to do a run up. To this day I am deathly afraid of wet tee pads-and I still have not felt comfortable going back to the X-step. So I think I deserve an award for the most expensive DG related injury at 13,000 $. lol. Oh and if this happens to anyone, make sure to do your PT or will never walk the same

I think there is definitely an underlining moral with everyones story though......
DONT BE STUPID AND WAIT TO GET URSELF CHECKED OUT IF YOU THINK UVE INJURED URSELF!



Well DUH!...but this one is akin to going to the dentist when your tooth doesn't hurt. It doesn't affect anything else inside of or outside of disc golf except my backhand throw. I just go through times when I miss playing. Especially in the spring.

Holy crap, Sarge! $13,000?!?!?!?! I'm not injured THAT bad, but still, you're scaring me. Maybe I can just stick with gimpy golf. hahaha!!

I wasnt calling u out FCColonel! Im as guilty as anyone else!

hahaha!! I know, man. I don't know about you, but I'm finally accepting that it's probably because 50 is creepin' up. Dang, I can play grand master after Jan 1. No wonder we have age protected divisions.

Ya, well im only 25 and Im already dealing with back issues. i just hope this is a one time thing and i dont deal with it for the rest of my life.
Im taking it easy, seeing a chiropractor, and only throwing sidearm out on the course when i do get out. And im not going to any tournaments for a couple months! Sucky...

Well kudos to ya for having the will to lay off. I hope you can stick with that. I know it's hard. I used to get the occasional back pain. It seems like it was always in the first few months of the year when it was cold. I think it's probably because I was bad about not doing proper stretching excercises before I played. You might want to try that if you're not doing it. Maybe a heat pad in the car on the way to a tournament to get the muscles loosened up.

I just went off the end of a teepad today twiste dmyself all up the whole right side of my body hates me. I miss judged teh length of the pad my plant foot rolled off the end and down I went catching my lower back on the edge of the pad. From my knee to my neck is all wrenched up. I went to my chiropractor and he had trouble getting my back to crack. He realighned my hips. I feel alot better but still sore. Darn long legs,but i made it 430' down the fairway some how it was about 40' off the ground LOL

...but i made it 430' down the fairway some how it was about 40' off the ground LOL



That's the important thing! :)