Muscle Injury Symptoms
Limited Range of Motion
We often notice an injury with stiffness somewhere in the body. Our natural response to pain causes us to favor a sore back, shoulder, leg or arm. Whenever you experience limited range of motion, listen to your body. Rarely will a golfer lose range of motion without some kind of pain. You might feel a pulling sensation in your back when trying to complete a swing or a twinge in your shoulders when putting. Range of motion muscle injury symptoms usually pair up with joint or muscle swelling and tenderness.
Swelling
Swelling involves inflammation of the tendons, ligaments and muscle. This response to an injury often includes excessive pain that will prevent you from performing in your sport. Swelling might be visible and almost always causes localized stiffness in the area. Pain, heat or redness are common. Read the signs and discontinue your activity if you experience any swelling while golfing. Containing your round will only aggravate your injured muscles. A common sports injury involves the slight (or major) tearing of muscle tissues. These muscle strains will usually cause immediate pain as well as swelling.
Tenderness
Simply touching a muscle injury can cause acute pain. Whenever an injury reaches this point, cease your activity immediately and apply ice after consulting your doctor. Sensitivity to touch often occurs directly over the muscle at the exact point of injury. Muscle tenderness differs from soreness. Soreness causes an overall achy feeling, while tenderness occurs when you apply direct pressure to an injury.
Numbness
When muscle injury occurs, the ligaments and tendons around the injury swell in concert with the muscle. This increased swelling can cause a tingling feeling or numbness in the limb. Don't disregard this feeling, especially if it's persistent. Numbness indicates possible increased pressure on the nerves in the area of the injury. Worst-case scenarios include actual nerve damage. You should always consult with your doctor when experiencing numbness at an injury site.
Tendonitis
Surprisingly, tendons play a very important role with muscles and golf. Tendons connect bone and muscles and as a result, can cause or aggravate a muscle injury. Tendons comprise flexible tissue that can stretch with overuse. Golfers often experience shoulder, wrist and elbow tendonitis. This muscle-injury symptom can often be the first indication of a potential over-use injury for an incorrect swing or stance. Tendonitis features swelling, pain and tenderness when applying pressure.