Martsy
New member
A little background. Pretty much this entire season starting back in March, I have been dealing with some discomfort in my right hand while playing golf. It had been mild, and I attributed it to arthritis, which i self diagnosed but since it runs in my family, and i am getting older, i just figured it was something i might as well get used to. Took an advil before i played, rubbed a little icyhot on it, and ended up getting grips that were a little more friendly towards it. It was manageable, really only was uncomfortable able i played, but during a round for the most part i forgot about it.
Fast forward to late October. I had just gotten over a back injury, got some new irons, very excited about trying them out, and headed to the driving range. Things were going great. Completely pain free, striking the ball better than I ever have. After about about 50 swings, I decided that I shouldn't forget my woods and pull out the driver. First swing, club connects with the ball, and it takes everything i have not to immediately drop the club. An intense pain on the top right side of my right hand (I'm a right handed golfer, so my bottom hand on my grip). The pain radiated a little up through the center of my wrist, and almost out to the sides, but the intensity was in my hand. After a few minutes, I realize the pain is not going away, i give the balls to the guy next to me and head home figuring i just need to give it some rest.
Two weeks later, still really not much better, and depending on certain motions, i could recreate some of that initial pain. So I decided to bite the bullet and go to our family physician. Turns out, the day of my appointment he was sick, so i saw another guy in the practice who i didn't know, but basically gave me a prescription for some extra strength advil and suggested it would go away in a couple weeks, and if not, i should see an orthopedist. Maybe 10 days later, the pain is pretty much gone in my normal day to day activities, and i decide to try to go to my golftec lesson which I had cancelled a few times already. After 4-5 swings, pain is back to the same degree as when i first hurt it. I decide to make an appointment with an orthopedist.
I meet with the orthopedist before thanksgiving, he takes some xrays which don't show anything broken. He wasn't very definitive, said i probably just had a strained tendon. He did say looking at my xray, that i did not have arthritis. He prescribes me a gel which is basically like topical advil he explained that should relieve the discomfort. I've used it, but honestly not sure it really made much of a difference. I complete shut down golf for the last month, have taken it extremely easy, though had has occasionally bothered my while just sitting at my desk or on the couch watching a movie with the wifey. I would say overall though, over the course of the past month, it has gotten gradually better, to the point last night i did something stupid...
So last night, after just a long day of work, i decided to hit the gym and on the way there decided to hit some golf balls at a heated driving range. I just bought a small bucket, and decided to really take it easy, but i've just been chomping at the bit to hit some balls. I hit about 25 balls with mild discomfort, but really nothign i haven't dealt with all season. Decide to switch over to my 3 wood, and after about 5 swings, hand really started hurting again, intense pain at or above the level when i initially hurt my hand. To the point i decide to stop and left the balls there again.
So here I am, wondering if I'm just being completely impatient and need to suck it up and go a couple months before i swing a club again? Or, is it possible that there's another possible diagnosis and rest isn't really going to end up solving anything? I've played sports all my life, had all types of injuries. I've never encounter one that came back so quickly after what i'd consider a fair amount of rest, and really the symptoms are not any better than they were 2 months ago. As much as I will hate giving it a couple more months off, if i was certain that would do it, then i'd do it. But biggest fear is that i go 3 months without doing anything, head back to the range, and it's the same, and then i'm looking at possible missing out on part or all of the '14 season.
So after all this long windedness, really two questions. One, has anyone had an injury like this from golf? And two, do you think i should make another appointment with my orthepedist, or just rest it based off his initial diagnosis and give it another x weeks/months? picture below to show where the pain i centered, and how it radiates:
Fast forward to late October. I had just gotten over a back injury, got some new irons, very excited about trying them out, and headed to the driving range. Things were going great. Completely pain free, striking the ball better than I ever have. After about about 50 swings, I decided that I shouldn't forget my woods and pull out the driver. First swing, club connects with the ball, and it takes everything i have not to immediately drop the club. An intense pain on the top right side of my right hand (I'm a right handed golfer, so my bottom hand on my grip). The pain radiated a little up through the center of my wrist, and almost out to the sides, but the intensity was in my hand. After a few minutes, I realize the pain is not going away, i give the balls to the guy next to me and head home figuring i just need to give it some rest.
Two weeks later, still really not much better, and depending on certain motions, i could recreate some of that initial pain. So I decided to bite the bullet and go to our family physician. Turns out, the day of my appointment he was sick, so i saw another guy in the practice who i didn't know, but basically gave me a prescription for some extra strength advil and suggested it would go away in a couple weeks, and if not, i should see an orthopedist. Maybe 10 days later, the pain is pretty much gone in my normal day to day activities, and i decide to try to go to my golftec lesson which I had cancelled a few times already. After 4-5 swings, pain is back to the same degree as when i first hurt it. I decide to make an appointment with an orthopedist.
I meet with the orthopedist before thanksgiving, he takes some xrays which don't show anything broken. He wasn't very definitive, said i probably just had a strained tendon. He did say looking at my xray, that i did not have arthritis. He prescribes me a gel which is basically like topical advil he explained that should relieve the discomfort. I've used it, but honestly not sure it really made much of a difference. I complete shut down golf for the last month, have taken it extremely easy, though had has occasionally bothered my while just sitting at my desk or on the couch watching a movie with the wifey. I would say overall though, over the course of the past month, it has gotten gradually better, to the point last night i did something stupid...
So last night, after just a long day of work, i decided to hit the gym and on the way there decided to hit some golf balls at a heated driving range. I just bought a small bucket, and decided to really take it easy, but i've just been chomping at the bit to hit some balls. I hit about 25 balls with mild discomfort, but really nothign i haven't dealt with all season. Decide to switch over to my 3 wood, and after about 5 swings, hand really started hurting again, intense pain at or above the level when i initially hurt my hand. To the point i decide to stop and left the balls there again.
So here I am, wondering if I'm just being completely impatient and need to suck it up and go a couple months before i swing a club again? Or, is it possible that there's another possible diagnosis and rest isn't really going to end up solving anything? I've played sports all my life, had all types of injuries. I've never encounter one that came back so quickly after what i'd consider a fair amount of rest, and really the symptoms are not any better than they were 2 months ago. As much as I will hate giving it a couple more months off, if i was certain that would do it, then i'd do it. But biggest fear is that i go 3 months without doing anything, head back to the range, and it's the same, and then i'm looking at possible missing out on part or all of the '14 season.
So after all this long windedness, really two questions. One, has anyone had an injury like this from golf? And two, do you think i should make another appointment with my orthepedist, or just rest it based off his initial diagnosis and give it another x weeks/months? picture below to show where the pain i centered, and how it radiates:
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