Convincing Physical Therapists that Disc Golf Is WONDERFUL

My lovely girlfriend is the chair for the Central Michigan University Physical Therapy Student Organization. The PTSO is trying to come up with a fun sport that anyone can participate in to do a fundraiser. OK guys, the answer is obvious. Disc golf is the answer. The thing is, I need some ideas to help support my little presentation. Does anyone know where I can find some information on how disc golf can help recovery from surgery or injury ? Does anyone have an personal experience ? Let me know, I need to pitch this in mid-January. If they follow my suggestions, do you think anyone would be against playing 10-20 dollars for a tournament ? The payout would be in goods and services that have been donated by businesses.

[Pdduubb]

Three months ago I broke my Tibia Plateau (place where your knee & tibua connect) Long story short I had surgery, three months of crutches and then began Physical Therapy (PT). I had to learn how to work through the pain to walk normally and begin to rebuild the massive amounts of muscles lost during the three months of inactivity.

I go to my local PT and like pennies from heaven she knows all about disc golf. Her brother plays religiously so she gets it! She focuses her efforts on my wanting to play ASAP. We work on balance, weight transfer and such which are needed in day to day life but knowing the payout is improved play on the course. She has actually told me to play as much as my muscles can take knowing the activity (mostly the uneven terrain of a disc golf course) will break down and then build up my muscles while doing something that I enjoy.

I hope this helps your cause.

pw

[Taylor Cason]

I think it's most obvious application would be for those who are overweight. Disc golf's best trait is that it gets you out there for exercise without having to think about it as some great task. You end up walking a couple miles in a round and having a blast too. I think it's good for folks who want to be active but don't want to be doing some arduous simple monotonous exercise like riding a stationary bike or whatever.

[Rescue]

Well it's a doubled edge sword for me. Had I not suffered multiple back injuries over the years. I most likely would have never picked up this game. I use to be an avid ball golfer among other things all well. Short story. I had to give up pretty much all of my "hobbies" I was in a pretty sour mood for quite some time. Until we were visiting family in WA. That's when I got turned on to disc golf. I've been hooked ever since. Sure, I'm hurting after a few rounds, but it's livable.
I just think it's a sport the majority of people with or without injuries can play. The twist is. I started playing with an injury. So I'll never know if or what I'm missing (distance) pre-injury. So in a way that's a plus for me. I never had to witness a decline in performance.

[Andy Pearson]

My Mom just broke her wrist badly. It was badly set the first time and had to be re-broken and have screws put in. She's undergone lots of physical therapy for it. She is now playing some disc golf with me and her therapist says, "go for it." The snap and motion of the throw is supposed to be good for her range of motion and also helps break up some of the cartilage that has accumulated since her surgery. If you'd like to talk to her, let me know and I'll get you her e-mail addy.

[Jon Andrews]

That would be great, drop her email in my box would you?

[Andy Pearson]

[e-mail]

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

We have a local player...great guy...been playing for decades. He fell a few years back on our course...on one of the embankments around our ponds...it was a bummer for him...it happened just a couple days before a planned disc golf vacation/tour. ...he banged up his throwing shoulder pretty good...actually I believe he dislocated it...no disc golf vacation....anyways when he healed from that injury....his range of motion improved...thus improving his distance greatly.

The irony is....he is a Physical Therapist.

I'll mention to him you need some testimonials...and try to get him on the site.

[Jon Andrews]

Excellent ! Thank you. I am really hoping to start the idea that DG is a good PT for those that need to increase range of motion.

[AK Discer]

I didn't use it for PT, but since I first started playing discs back in May, I've lost 25 pounds. Of course I've played like 4-5 times a week and a lot of the day. If nothing else, you still reap health benefits from it. Exercise is exercise and you use your entire body playing disc golf from throwing to walking and hiking. Your GF can't go wrong with setting up disc golf for an "everyone sport."