Consumers can learn a lot more from professional golfers than a
powerful swing or an accurate chip shot. These athletes are not only
role models in their sport, but they can also offer advice on how they
deal with everyday aches and pains - both on and off the course.
In fact, five professional golfers report that in order to perform
at their best, they seek relief immediately at the onset of pain. This
contrasts with the results of a new survey that shows two-thirds (66
percent) of pain sufferers wait to treat their pain, and more than half
who wait (54 percent) delay treatment for six hours or more. In
addition, nearly half (42 percent) of pain sufferers surveyed said that
they are most likely to postpone seeking pain relief hoping the pain
will subside on its own.
TSC, a division of Yankelovich, conducted the survey, which polled
1,107 pain sufferers nationwide from July 13-16, 2007. The survey
findings were then compared to the personal experiences of five PGA
TOUR players: Brad Faxon, Jim Furyk, JJ Henry, Peter Jacobsen and Mark
O'Meara.
The survey also found that pain sufferers enjoy activities like
working in the yard/around the house (75 percent), walking/hiking (72
percent) and exercising/working out (54 percent) - but even these
seemingly pleasurable pastimes can cause pain. For example, 62 percent
of those surveyed report having pain when working in the yard/around
the house, followed by exercising/working out (54 percent) and
walking/hiking (45 percent). In addition, nearly half (49 percent) of
those polled find that they are unable to enjoy their free time or
focus on specific tasks when they are in pain. Overall, the most
prevalent area for pain was the back (76 percent), followed by knees
(55 percent) and shoulders (49 percent).
About the Survey
This survey was conducted by The Segmentation Company, a division of
Yankelovich. These results are based on a telephone survey conducted
between July 13 and July 16, 2007, among a sample of 1,107 Americans
age 18 and older who reported experiencing back, body or joint pain in
the past 12 months. For results based on the total sample, the margin
of error is plus or minus 2.9 percentage points. For results based on
smaller sub samples, the margin of error is larger.
