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Golf
Playing golf may help men and women stricken with arthritis regain their mobility, medical experts say. Arthritis is a condition that prompts hip replacement against which artificial devices were being reported as substandard and which persuaded the European Union (EU) in creating the registry for medical devices.

Arthritis is being described as a joint disorder featuring inflammation which is usually accompanied by joint pain such as arthralgia, according to the MedicineNet.com website.

The sport of golf is a very adaptable sport that can be personalized to meet the physical capabilities of almost anyone. It may even have health-enhancing effects, it says.

If a person is suffering from arthritis, playing golf may improve the strength and mobility of his upper extremities, spine, hips and lower extremities. Golf may help his range of motion in his joints or how well he may move each joint through its full capabilities. It also can help improve balance and coordination.

Playing the sport can make a person undergo lower-intensity exercises, like walking on level ground or on a hilly golf course at a moderate pace, which can provide health benefits, the Arthritis Foundation says.

Arthritis is being considered as one of the leading causes of disability. It may prevent a person from doing ordinary tasks at home and work, or even from playing a round of golf. But it doesn't mean the person is doomed to a life of inactive lifestyle. In fact, the Arthritis Foundation says that exercise helps relieve arthritis. With careful planning, an effective treatment program and a few arthritis aids, a person may still enjoy a game of golf.

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative condition that tends to affect more men before age 45, but it is more common in women over 45, according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disorders or NIAMS.

Osteoarthritis regularly results from an injury, joint abnormalities, motion problems or overuse. It harms the cartilage and bones in a person’s joints and leads to pain, stiffness and immobility.

Therefore, walking around the golf course, driving and putting all require a person to use his joints. But arthritis usually dwindles joint muscles and threatens them. To restructure them and keep a person’s golf game going, men and women are strongly advised to follow their treatment plan, which probably includes weight-bearing exercises to strengthen muscles, ligaments and bones, and range-of-motion exercises to improve flexibility in the joints. Before a person starts doing a round of golf, he or she person should warm up and stretch for about five to 20 minutes, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

It is also important for a person to change golf gears as it may help lessen further the joint injury and pain. They are strongly advised to switch to low-compression golf balls and clubs with lighter-weight graphite shafts, according to the Arthritis Foundation. The golfer also should use a perimeter-weighted golf club head to improve shock absorption, and use a tee every time the golfer hit the ball to avoid damaging their joints.

The golfer stricken with arthritis may find a wide variation of arthritis assistive devices that make playing golf more accessible and enjoyable. For instance, there is a special arthritis shoes which might be more comfortable than golf shoes with spikes. A knee brace may help to control motion and support their muscles. A wrist brace or splint might lower pain when they are holding their club and swinging. This advice, if being followed, may help a person stricken with arthritis avoid the worse which usually leads to surgical procedure such as hip implant, which has been the subject of a hip replacement recall.

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URL REFERENCES:

medicinenet.com

medicalnewstoday

arthritis.org

niams.nih.gov

livestrong.com