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 JUNE 30, 2011 How Tiger Woods Can Get Back on the Course Golfer Tiger Woods has vowed to return to playing competitive golf, but announced this week he plans to take a break until his surgically repaired, sprained knee and aching Achilles tendon have healed completely. At the PGA tour’s AT&T National at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square, PA, Tiger told the media: “It’s up to (the doctors) and obviously my body and how it recovers.  We’re trying to push it every day and challenge my leg and see how it responds. If it gets better, then we move progressively a bit further. And if it doesn’t, we either stay there or take a step back. That’s how rehab goes. It’s been arduous."What kind of rehab is Tiger doing? No one knows for sure with the notoriously secretive Woods. But if you had the same injuries, here’s what doctors would likely have you doing. Tiger reportedly has a sprain in the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Rehabilitation for this injury entails using a stationary bicycle and doing leg extensions and curls. Ride a stationary bicycle for 20 minutes a day with the seat high to minimize range of motion in the knee. Don’t put any drag on the bike; you’re simply interested in moving the knee. Gradually lower the seat to increase the bend in your knee until you reach your full range of motion. Do leg extensions while seated at a bench or a table. Once you lift the weight, hold at full extension for 3 seconds and then very slowly lower your leg. Concentrate on the slow movement down, which helps build strength. Do 5 sets of 10 leg extensions. Start with no weight and gradually add weight (5 pounds for men, 2.5 pounds for women) until you reach the amount of weight necessary for you to fail during the last set. Do leg curls while lying on your stomach. Again, do 5 sets of 10 lifts. If you use a weight machine, hold for 3 seconds with the leg bent for further strengthening. The leg exercises are designed to strengthen the quadriceps muscles in the front of the thigh (leg extension) and the hamstring muscles in the back of the thigh (leg curls). These are the muscles that control the knee and must be strengthened. Tiger also reportedly has Achilles tendinitis. The treatment for this injury is to rest until it feels better. Then ice the tendon several times a day and take anti-inflammatory agents to relieve swelling and pain. You can stretch the Achilles tendon with Wall Push-ups. Place one foot as far away from a wall as you can and still keep your rear heel flat on the ground and the other leg a few inches from the wall. Bending your elbows, lean into the wall and support yourself with your hands but don’t let your rear heel come off the ground. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds and push back up. Tiger says he’s not going to push it and try to return too soon from his injuries. That's good advice for amateurs and pros alike. |
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