Spine Team Spokane offers help to golfers

If your swing has gone south owing to back pain, a group of physicians and physical therapists in eastern Washington believe they can help bring you back to scratch – or whatever your handicap used to be. Spine Team Spokane uses a high definition golf simulator and the Nintendo Wii Fit Nintendo system to relieve back pain and improve patients’ games. Dr. Daniel Dibble says the scores of many golfers over the age of 50 have dropped because of wear and tear on their aging bodies, and many younger players have suffered disc injuries. Spokane resident Joe O’Connor, 64, is one of those older players, and he’s signed up for the group’s unique fitness program. Between ball strikes in the golf simulator — which portrays a course in Fairmont, B.C. — at the group’s Spokane Valley office, O’Connor tells his story: “For the past couple of years I’ve suffered from nerve impingement, what’s called spinal stenosis. My right leg has been weak, but under this program I’ve been building endurance, and I notice a difference in my swing.” Overseeing his posture and swings is Aaron Latimer who holds a doctorate in physical therapy. He’s the medical practice’s strength and conditioning coach and, incidentally, is a 10-handicap golfer. Latimer says lower back pain is the most common golf-related injury in amateur golfers. It’s usually caused, he says, by the powerful rotation and extension of a golf swing. He claims the golf simulator technology allows patients to experience real golf-associated movements with feedback from the therapist and the machine. “By using this technology,” Latimer says, “patients are able to see their progress. They’re able to work on their swing and then receive feedback to improve their form, as well as their mobility, posture and strength.” Dr. Dibble says the enjoyment factor is a major part of the reason physical therapists are sold on the simulator and Wii as therapy tools. “Routine exercises such as weight training and aerobics that are designed to help a patient regain strength, balance, endurance, flexibility, dexterity and coordination can often become tedious. The patient can lose interest.” Latimer adds that the devices in their office “keep the person entertained, more involved in their care. They’re having fun while they’re exercising, so they tend to be much more engaged in what they’re doing.” Dr. Dibble explains that the Wii system, which includes yoga exercises, helps patients with their balance and weight shift. The golf simulator comprises a high-definition screen with monitors linked to computers. When golfers strike or putt a ball they see its path on the screen and, according to Dr. Dibble, research has shown that on a 300-yard drive the system is accurate within three feet, and on a 150-yard shot, it’s accurate within inches. He says Spine Team Spokane emphasizes a non-surgical approach to back and neck problems. In addition to an exercise gym and the golf simulator, the practice includes an internal injection suite for pain-relieving injections. Additional information may be obtained by calling 509-363-3100 or from the Web at www.SpineTeamSpokane.com.