July 08, 2002

Back In The Swing

As the PGA tour swings into town July 22-28 at the annual John Deere Classic, another round of golfers will be hard at work on their game, too. While professionals compete for the championship title and cash prize, recovering stroke patients will hit the course to participate in the area's first program to use golf as a rehabilitation technique.

The Stroke Prevention and Recovery Center (SPARC), a service of Genesis Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program, combines love of golf with therapy and offers the sport as one of its treatments. Proven effective for stroke patients, golf is available as a leisure outing and used as a therapeutic intervention.

"We found, more and more, that many of our patients were avid golfers, but had given it up after their stroke," said Alicia Owens, LBSW, Coordinator of the Stroke Prevention and Recovery Center. "This is a low-pressure way to get them back into the game."

The golf program gradually increases in difficulty and length. Participants begin at the driving range before transitioning to the course, where they golf from three to a maximum of nine holes. Golf meets twice monthly. 

The Stroke Prevention and Recovery Center's golf program offers assisted and unassisted golf for a wide range of abilities. To prepare for this new program the Genesis treatment team attended a "First Swing" seminar. The National Amputee Golf Association in conjunction with the Disabled American Veterans and PGA, sponsored the event. The one or two day clinics bring golf professionals, therapists and patients together to teach or reintroduce them to golf. 

Regular golf sessions take place on local courses and are reasonably priced. For more information or to register, call Alicia Owens at 563-421-3460.