Kathleen Bissell (wonder if she’s related to the vacuum people) wrote about Ernie Els’s putting problems during The Masters over on www.progolfnow.com. Why do we care at PatientWorthy? Because Bissell notes that dystonia, a movement disorder, seems to be a more common problem for golfers.
Sometimes when golfers are trying to putt, they can get “the yips”–involuntary spasms. Most everyday sufferers of dystonia think of it as a neurological problem, not just a movement disorder. Bissell acknowledges that it’s a result of muscles getting the wrong information from the brain, causing them to involuntarily spasm. Sound familiar, dystonia sufferers?
So that got me wondering. Have any golfers come up with techniques that could help others with dystonia?
It’s pretty well accepted that stress or anxiety can increase the frequency and tenacity of dystonia when it does appear. Maybe cognitive behavioral therapy could help sufferers of dystonia find alternate ways to deal with stressful situations in their own lives.
I’m not saying it’ll work…but it’s worth a try, right?
