Fall Sports, Healthy Exercise: 82% Of Golfers With Knee Pain Say It Lowers Their Scores – A Survey of 106 Golfers With Knee Pain
Accredited cell processing company CellBank (Kachidoki, Chuo-ku Tokyo; CEO Motoharu Hojo) surveyed 106 golfers who play at least once a week on their experiences with knee pain.
- Important Takeaways
- POINT 01:
82.0% of golfers with knee pain say it lowers their scores - POINT 02:
34.9% of golfers with knee pain experience inflammation, 28.3% experience overuse syndrome - POINT 03:
About 90% of golfers are interested in regenerative treatment options for knee pain in old age
Survey Information
- Topic
- Knee Pain In Golfers
- Method
- Online Survey
- Time Period
- October 24, 2021 ～ October 24, 2021
- Responses
- 106 golfers who play at least once a week and have experienced knee pain from playing golf
51% Of Golfers Experience Knee Pain Daily
Q1. How frequently do you experience knee pain?(n=106)
14.2% answered “Considerable Pain Every Day,” 36.8% answered “Moderate Pain Every Day.”
- ・Considerable Pain Every Day: 14.2%
- ・Moderate Pain Every Day: 36.8%
- ・Considerable Pain During Exercise: 14.2%
- ・Moderate Pain During Exercise: 33.0%
- ・No Pain: 1.8%
- ・Other: 0.0%
82% Of Golfers With Knee Pain Say It Lowers Their Scores
Q2. Have your golf scores ever gone down because of your knee pain?(n=106)
8.5% answered “Very Frequently,” 35.8% answered “Frequently.”
- ・Very Often: 8.5%
- ・Often: 35.8%
- ・Sometimes: 37.7%
- ・A Few Times: 14.2%
- ・Never: 3.8%
More Than 70% Of Golfers Take Preventative Measures To Manage Their Knee Pain
Q3. Do you ever take preventative measures to help manage your knee pain?(n=106)
19.8% answered “Yes,” 53.8% answered “Sometimes.”
- ・Yes: 19.8%
- ・Sometimes: 53.8%
- ・Not Often: 24.5%
- ・No: 1.9%
88.7% Of Golfers Want To Keep Playing Even In Old Age
Q4. Do you see yourself still playing golf in 10-20 years and/or when you’ve reached senior status?(n=106)
51.9% answered “Yes,” 36.8% answered “Maybe.”
- ・Yes: 51.9%
- ・Maybe: 36.8%
- ・Not Particularly: 8.5%
- ・No: 2.8%
Staying Healthy & Keeping Good Form Are Important For Older Golfers
「Q5.Q5. If you answered “Yes” or “Maybe” to Q4, what do you think is important for you to do so you can keep playing golf as you get older? (check all that apply)(n=94)
78.7% answered “Staying Healthy,” 63.8% answered “Keeping Good Form,” 47.9% answered “Financial Stability.”
- ・Staying Healthy: 78.7%
- ・Keeping Good Form: 63.8%
- ・Financial Stability: 47.9%
- ・Having Friends Who Golf: 33.0%
- ・Maintaing Skills: 20.2%
- ・Living Close To A Golf Course: 17.0%
- ・Other: 0.0%
Some Golfers Have Lost Their Skills Or Even Quit The Sport Due To Chronic Knee Pain
Q6. How has knee pain impacted your ability to play golf? (free response)(n=106)
Responses from 65 golfers include difficulty swinging and giving up golf because of chronic knee pain.
Sample Responses
- ・Age 45: I’ve ended up whiffing the ball plenty of times because the pain in my knees can make it difficult to swing.
- ・Age 42: I stopped golfing when my knee pain got in the way of my ability to play the way I wanted to.
- ・Age 43: I’ve had my knees buckle when I hit the ball.
- ・Age 38: I’ve been in some bad positions taking bunker shots and ended up having to take 5 shots in the bunker because my knees hurt so bad when I’d swing.
- ・Age 42: I’m fine when I’m on level ground, but when it's uneven I’ll end up swinging while my knees are tense, so it can be easy to miss.
- ・Age 48: I’ve almost completely stopped golfing since I started experiencing chronic knee pain in my everyday life.
- ・Age 58: There have been times where I can’t bend down to pick up the ball because of my knee pain.
- ・Age 50: It’s been hard when I’ve had to move the cart by myself.
34.9% Of Golfers With Knee Pain Experience Inflammation, 28.3% Experience Overuse Syndrome
Q7. What symptoms or injuries have you experienced because of your knee pain? (check all that apply)(n=106)
34.9% answered “Inflammation,” 28.3% answered “Overuse Syndrome From Running/Jumping,” 15.1% answered “Osteoarthritis.”
- ・Inflammation: 34.9%
- ・Overuse Syndrome From Running/Jumping: 28.3%
- ・Osteoarthritis: 15.1%
- ・Torn Meniscus: 10.4%
- ・Damaged Cartilage: 7.5%
- ・Torn Ligaments: 6.6%
- ・Bone Fractures: 3.8%
- ・Osgood-Schlatter Disease: 2.8%
- ・Other: 7.5%
- ・None: 19.8%
86.8% Of Golfers Are Interested In Regenerative Medicine To Treat Chronic Knee Pain In Old Age
Q8. Regenerative medicine offers potential treatment options for chronic knee pain in seniors. Would be interested in regenerative treatment if it was available to you?(n=106)
29.3% answered “Yes,” 57.5% answered “Possibly.”
- ・Yes: 29.3%
- ・Possibly: 57.5%
- ・Maybe: 12.3%
- ・No: 0.9%
- ・I’ve Already Recieved Regenerative Treatments: 0.0%
More Than 90% Of Golfers Want To Avoid Knee Pain So They Can Stay Athletic In The Future
Q9. Do you want to avoid knee pain so you can keep doing athletic activities in the future?(n=106)
34.0% answered “Yes,” 58.5 % answered “Somewhat.”
- ・Yes: 34.0%
- ・Somewhat: 58.5%
- ・Not Particularly: 6.6%
- ・No: 0.9%
Conclusion
In this survey we asked 106 golfers who play golf at least once a week about their experiences with knee pain.
First, we asked golfers how frequently they experienced knee pain. 51.0% experience pain every day and 47.2% experience pain during exercise, showing that many people deal with chronic knee pain. 82.0% of golfers who experience knee pain said that their scores have gone down because of their pain. But about 70% of the golfers we surveyed said they’re actively taking preventative measures to manage their pain, and 88.7% say they want to be able to keep playing golf even into old age. Survey respondents say staying healthy and keeping good form are the most important things for older golfers to do to stay athletic.
34.9% of golfers with knee pain struggle with inflammation and 28.3% have overuse syndrome. Experiences range from difficulty swinging and hitting the ball, to having to quit the sport because of chronic knee pain. With so many golfers wanting to stay fit enough to keep playing into old age, many are interested in treatments to help reduce chronic knee pain. 86.8% of the golfers we surveyed expressed interest in regenerative medicine, and more than 90% want to avoid knee pain so they can stay athletic into the future.
Joint pain is an unavoidable part of sports, but it doesn’t have to stop athletes from playing. Regenerative medicine can offer athletes a chance to enjoy their sports without worrying about chronic knee pain.
Comment From CellBank CEO Motoharu Hojo
Knee pain can include osteoarthritis from old age, and overuse from sports. Whether from old age or athletics, knee problems can cause inflammation. Addressing that inflammation is the most effective way to treat chronic knee pain. Stem cells have strong anti-inflammatory properties, so injecting stem cells (usually adipose-derived stem cells) into the knee can significantly reduce pain caused by inflammation. Contact your doctor to learn more about regenerative treatment options for chronic knee pain.