Revolutionizing Rehab: High-Tech Golf Simulator Helps Injured Golfers Get Back in the Game Safely
By Robin Frank
Photos by Neil Cohen
Golf enthusiasts recovering from an injury or surgery are often eager to get back to the sport. At HSS Florida’s West Palm Beach Rehabilitation and Performance Center, many patients are returning to the game sooner than anticipated thanks to a state-of-the-art golf simulator, transforming the rehab experience.
HSS Florida uses the simulator to analyze movement in multiple areas of the body, along with the golf swing.
HSS Florida, part of New York’s renowned Hospital for Special Surgery, acquired the same simulator used at the Manhattan location. The objective information it provides is a valuable supplement to the doctor’s recommendations and the rehab program developed by a physical therapist or exercise physiologist, says Spencer Summers, MD, a hip and knee surgeon at HSS Florida.
“The majority of my patients are golfers, and they love the simulator,” he notes. “It’s the kind that professionals use, with a huge screen that could make you feel like you’re at a golf course in Augusta or Pebble Beach. It’s very impressive.”
Utilizing advanced radar-tracking technology, the simulator captures detailed data on swing mechanics, ball launch and flight patterns. “The wealth of information enables our physical therapists to design highly personalized rehabilitation plans in a safe, controlled environment,” says Ryan Simovitch, MD, director of the shoulder division and co-medical director at HSS Florida.
Fumero says, 'The simulator helps us provide an elevated rehab experience for patients in a controlled, air-conditioned environment where we can see how they’re moving, how they are feeling, and what they need to work on.'
An Enhanced Rehab Experience
Instead of seeing rehab as a chore, many individuals look forward to the immersive virtual golf experience, explains Maria Alejandra Fumero, PT, a physical therapist who specializes in treating golfers at HSS Florida. Along with her clinical expertise, the simulator can help determine when a golfer can safely return to the sport. Patients can be tested in golf-specific scenarios, helping them to build both strength and confidence, she says.
“The simulator helps us provide an elevated rehab experience for patients in a controlled, air-conditioned environment where we can see how they’re moving, how they are feeling, and what they need to work on,” she explains. “They’re not running around on the golf course in the Florida heat hitting 50 balls and then seeing how they feel,” adds Fumero who counts golfers in their 80s and 90s among her patients.
‘The majority of my patients are golfers, and they love the simulator.’ – Dr. Spencer Summers, HSS Florida
A Study on How Arthritis and Subsequent Surgery Affect Golf
HHS Florida physical therapist Maria Alejandra Fumero uses a high-tech golf simulator with patients eager to get back to the sport after an injury or surgery. Here, she is working with patient Bernardo Suarez.
The golf simulator is central to a study at HSS Florida to determine how arthritis and joint replacement surgery affect a player’s performance. Researchers aim to recruit 300 golfers with knee, hip or shoulder arthritis. Participants will be assessed both before and after surgery to analyze club swing, balance and other components of the game to explore the effect of joint replacement and subsequent rehabilitation.
“When a golfer is scheduled for joint replacement, one of their first questions is about when they can return to the game,” explains Summers. “Is their golf game going to be better? Will it be worse? What can they expect? To this day, there is little published research on how a major joint replacement surgery affects performance.”
The HSS Florida researchers hope to change that. They are using the golf simulator in combination with a sophisticated motion analysis system with high-speed cameras that capture the golfer’s movements from multiple angles. “We analyze movement in the torso, shoulder, elbow, hip and knee, while simultaneously tracking vital information such as ball spin, distance and trajectory,” Simovitch explains.
Researchers will monitor the golfers’ progress over two years. Simovitch notes that down the road, the study findings could lead to changes in rehabilitation guidelines to maximize outcomes for golfers after joint replacement or even lead to modifications in how the surgery is performed.
