While playing golf may not be as dangerous as Australian rules football, anyone who’s played the game for any length of time has woken up with aches, pains and strains. It’s a non-contact sport that beats the heck out of you. So, if you want to be able to walk fairways for the rest of your life, you should be aware of potential injuries and how you could prevent and treat them.

First of all, golf is not as sedate as you might think. Dr. Marc Darrow, a Physiatrist (a doctor of physical medicine rehabilitation) at the Joint Rehabilitation and Sports Medical Center in West L.A., says, "Surprisingly, golf probably causes more injuries than most sports. Swinging a club at a hundred miles an hour creates great torque (twisting) on your body.".

This is particularly dangerous for the senior golfer because, as he notes, "Collagen, the basic material for ligaments, cartilage and tendons, starts drying out as you get older. Stressing the joints causes strains and tears."

Dr. James Fox, a senior partner at SCOI (Southern California Orthopedic Institute) in Van Nuys, agrees. "The tissues have lost elastic fibers," he says, "and don’t stretch. Because they’ve lost some water content, they tend to fragment more easily."

Okay, the fact that you’re more vulnerable to injury as you get older is not exactly a news bulletin. But, what are the golf injuries that occur most frequently and how can you avoid them?

Dr. Darrow ominously warns, "Golf can affect every joint in your body" while Dr. Fox says, in his experience, "the most common injuries affect the elbow, shoulder, back and knee." Dr. Jeff Anthony, a sports medicine specialist at San Diego State University, sees "more lower back, elbow and shoulder injuries." In other words, most of your body is at risk.

While each injury may present unique problems, Dr. Fox classifies injuries into two basic categories. "One, I call the Ômacro’ injury," he says. "This is the sudden injury, like when you fall into a sand trap. The other is the "micro" injury where repetitive actions add up. The muscle or tendon is constantly stressed, causing little tears. When someone says, `I only hit one drive and my back is killing me,’ it’s usually the result of long-term damage."

"To prevent the macro injury," Dr. Fox cautions, "use some planning and forethought. Look out for branches or walk out of the shallow side of the bunker. Sometimes we’re too competitive and take chances."

To prevent the micro injuries, he says, "Warm up before the round. Stretch. Get in good shape, particularly cardiovascular shape." And-- where have we heard this before?-- "Keep your weight down," he warns. "Every extra pound is multiplied six times across the knee. If you’re ten pounds overweight, that’s an extra 60 pounds per square inch of pressure on the knee."

Dr. Darrow agrees, "Work out, stay in shape. Don’t be a weekend warrior. That’s how you get hurt."

If you’re at all not sure what to do, Dr. Anthony advises, "There are several good books available on exercises specific for golf. They show you how to stretch and warm up before playing."

Stretching is probably the most important and the most overlooked exercise for golfers. Instead of getting to the course late, rushing to change your shoes, hacking away frantically at a bucket of balls, then-dashing-to-the-first-tee ...sloooow down, get there 15 minutes earlier and stretch all the muscles. Your back will thank you in the morning.

Some work at home could help prevent one of the most common injuries, "golfer’s elbow." To prevent this type of injury, strengthen your forearm. While you’re watching TV, just squeeze a tennis ball with your free (non-remote control) hand. Or, better yet, do wrist curls with a light dumbbell.

This strength development may be especially important for women, as Dr. Anthony claims, "Elbow injuries seem to occur more frequently with women golfers; men seem to have more problems with their backs."

Lessons can have a double benefit-- besides cutting strokes from your handicap, they can help you avoid serious injury. As Dr. Fox notes, "If you’re swinging the wrong way a hundred times in four hours, you’ll pay the price. You need good biomechanics."

Speaking of lessons, if you do have an injury, however minor, however temporary, inform your instructor. Tom Barber, the head professional at Griffith Park Golf Courses, says, "I need to know what physical limitations you have, are there neck problems, back trouble? That goes for everyone, not just seniors."

Besides giving you a chance to reach the green in regulation on long par-4’s, the new technology of golf clubs also helps limit the possibility for injury. Dr. Fox says, "The forgiveness of clubs today have helped seniors and the high handicapper (avoid injury). They probably have lowered the ratio of injuries to golfers today, although the absolute numbers may have increased because there are more golfers than ever out there."

One of the reason for this benefit, according to Dr. Darrow, is that "the looser (more flex) shaft takes some of the stress away from the body."

Even with all these precautions, if you golf often and long enough, injuries are inevitable. What are the best treatments?

"I’m the King of Ice," claims Dr. Fox. "Icing the damaged area will help with healing."

To help control the pain and inflammation, Dr. Fox also recommends the use of anti-inflammatories, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

Once you’ve suffered an injury, you must be concerned about a recurrence. For example, Dr. Anthony says, "I often recommend wearing an elbow sleeve for injuries to that joint. Elbow and shoulder injuries can be trickier than others."

If injuries are chronic and never seem to disappear completely, there are additional steps you might want to consider. You might ask your physician for a referral for physical therapy. Don’t think that PT is only for the recovery from major traumas, like a broken hip. A lingering strained Achilles tendon or sore shoulder might respond to Ultrasound, specific prescribed exercise and massage. And the longer you wait, the more difficult it may be for a full recovery.

If you’ve never tried acupuncture, it may seem strange and a bit disconcerting, but it’s becoming an increasingly popular form of treatment. Talk to someone who’s tried it; they probably liked it. A tip: some physicians practice the Chinese art of body pin-cushioning which may make the treatment Medicare-eligible.

Dr. Darrow also practices Prolotherapy, which is the injection of a sugar solution into the area of inflammation around tendons and ligaments; this promotes the blood supply to the area and overall healing. In Dr. Darrow’s experience, some patients feel almost-immediate relief from pain.

Basically, there are as many remedies as there are ailments. Not everything works universally; you might have to look in more than one place for relief. But, the bottom line is: living with pain is not a given as you age. There are things you can and should do to prevent injuries and there are things you can do to heal quicker. Get in shape, stretch, ice and you can play golf forever. Not necessarily better, but forever. And that’s good enough for me.