Latest study throws light on how golf is good for Osteoarthritis

CHENNAI: As someone who alternates between morning and afternoon golf, I have been lucky enough to meet many interesting golfers, like Mr. Rao. An extremely courteous player, he would always give way to my two-ball.

We would stop and chat and I would unfailingly comment on his extremely straight game. “Thank you, but as you can see, I cannot climb on to the green and have a go at putting. Knee replacement on both legs,” he would tell me, repeatedly. “My ortho says that golf is good for me. Being on the course makes me happy.”

I was reminded of Mr. Rao when another golfer mailed me the findings of a new study led by the University of South Australia, which found that golf holds out solid benefits for people affected by chronic osteoarthritis.

Dr. Brad Stenner from the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, and a team of academics from Australia and the UK found that “golfers with degenerative condition experience lower psychological distress and better general health, compared to non-golfers.” The findings have been reported in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.

Wealth matters

One of the modern-day philosophers summed up that “good health and quiet breathing” was the most desirable state humans can aspire to achieve.

One may argue and term it as over simplification, but when one reflects on it, the wisdom behind the statement can be appreciated. Being blessed with a physique free of aches, pains and a mind which is not stressed is indeed the wealth one desires as one ages. Next to a round of golf free of triple bogey or worse, of course.

Which is why the above-mentioned study, with the finding that golf has a beneficial influence on both the body and the mind of Osteoarthritis (OA) patients, is a much-needed shot in the arm for all golfers, not least the recreational ones. The study compared golfers and non-golfers among Osteoarthritis patients and there is clear evidence that playing golf improves the physical and mental condition of the affected.

As per the study’s survey of 459 golfers with OA, more than 90 per cent of participants rated their health as good, very good or excellent, as against 64 per cent of the general population afflicted by the condition but does not play golf.

While only eight per cent of golfers recorded high levels of psychological distress, nearly three times as many non-golfers (22 per cent) reported high levels of stress.

Low intensity

Those fortunate ones who have not encountered Osteoarthritis may be unaware that it is a very difficult condition to manage.

The pain, endured for many years with no possibility of a cure, gets to the mind and results often in psychological distress and depression. A correct amount of exercise can improve the physical condition; the fact is that the body is so overcome that even simple acts like going to the gym can be more harmful than beneficial.

When an ortho broaches the subject of knee replacement, most golfers have a mild panic attack, assuming that it is the end of their glorious golfing days.

It need not be so. Dr. S Senthilkumar, who retired as orthopaedic surgeon at the Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai, says that although knee replacement is inevitable for many, it is a fact that any activity that keeps bones and joints in a supple condition can help postpone such replacement procedures. “Golf can help one and in the long run, one will not experience stiffness of the joints,” he adds.

According to him, Osteoarthritis is mentioned in ancient Egyptian chronicles. “It is only in recent years that awareness on Osteoarthritis is gaining more ground,” he says. If a golfer with the OA condition can manage a full round of golf without pain, it is extremely beneficial since he or she would have walked at least six kilometres, if not more.

However, one should take care to avoid walking on uneven or undulating surfaces. “Two rounds of golf per week will make an OA golfer fitter, happier and healthier, if medically he/she can play without aggravating the condition,” says the replacement specialist.