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StumbleUponSuddenly Tiger Woods isn’t a god or a robot. He’s a human, just like us, with that bum knee. Injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are common among weekend warriors and are often caused by a sudden twisting motion—like playing golf!
That’s why it seemed so surprising that one of the best golfers in the world could be sidelined like this.
Orthopedic surgeon William Levine, MD, director of Sports Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, says he sees a lot of these injuries from athletes who make sudden twisting motions or changes in direction, like football or basketball players. “But apparently Woods tore his ACL from a running injury about a year ago,” Dr. Levine says. “We don’t usually associate ACL tears with running, unless there’s an unusual twist event.” Could Woods have done something human there, too, like stumbling? “It’s all speculative right now," Dr Levine says, “how it in fact tore. But the ACL is critically important to the rotational stability of the knee, so when combined with the incredible torque and force with which he swings, that could really exacerbate it.” It’s gotta hurt, too.
The best tip Dr. Levine has for us weekend warriors to avoid knee injury? “You need to stretch, but don’t do it cold.” He says you should start with some mild aerobic warm-ups to get blood to the tissue, then do your careful stretching. A lot of injuries happen when people try to stretch before they warm up.
For more information on knee pain, symptoms, treatment, and prevention tips, check out Mayo Clinic or MedlinePlus.
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