Photos courtesy of Dr. Marc Belitsky
This past June, more than 150 golfers gathered at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, PA, for the 42nd U.S. Senior Open Championship. Marple’s friend, neighbor and sponsor, Dr. Marc Belitsky, chiropractor and owner of Broomall Total Health Center, was there too, helping golfers stay at the top of their game. Dr. Belitsky not only had the chance to treat golfers and caddies, but it was an opportunity to enjoy watching this prestigious golf championship and mingle with many of the best golfers in the world.
Along with this year’s team of professionals that included physical therapists, massage therapists, chiropractors and athletic trainers, Dr. Belitsky was on hand for chiropractic care for the U.S. Senior Open athletes as well as their caddies. The Performance and Recovery team worked in shifts, consulting with clients to ensure they got the specific treatment they needed. With golfers and caddies often suffering from neck, shoulder and lower-back injuries, they were grateful for Dr. Belitsky’s services at the Open. The team treated everything from sprained ankles to neck and back pain. Dr. Belitsky explained how chiropractic care allows the whole body to perform optimally. “Swinging a golf club takes a lot of coordination between several body parts,” he said. “If one area of the body or one muscle is unable to perform at its optimal level, it can cause other parts of your body to overcompensate, which leads to a breakdown and eventually pain.”
Thanks to Dr. Belitsky and his colleagues, many golfers who initially came to the recovery tent due to pain and issues with their golf swing, left excited to be rid of their pain. “It’s very rewarding to alleviate someone’s pain who then can go on to play better golf,” he said proudly. “Even if a golfer isn’t in pain, chiropractic adjustments can improve posture, increase flexibility and allow for full range of motion. In many cases, it even extends their careers.”
During his 30+ years as a chiropractor, Dr. Belitsky has treated all types of professional and amateur athletes, including runners, tennis players and local high school football players, for various sports-related injuries. A Board-Certified Chiropractic Rehabilitation doctor, he has been the Clinical Director of Broomall Total Health Center (BTHC; www.SpineDr.org) since 1989. He opened up his practice after graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Chiropractic in 1988 and has since completed advanced studies with a Master’s certification in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical injuries (whiplash) and associated TMJ dysfunction.
Through his practice, Dr. Belitsky has had the opportunity to treat many local golfers. “I also play a lot of golf myself and understand the mechanics of a golf swing,” he said. Prior to the U.S. Senior Open this year, he offered chiropractic care to golfers at the 42nd Curtis Cup, held at Merion Golf Club in early June. The match, held every other year, featured international competition between the top female amateur golfers in the United States against those from Great Britain and Ireland.
Dr. Belitsky has been part of the USGA’s Performance and Recovery team since 2013 with this year being his first time at the U.S. Senior Open and fifth time with the U.S. Open. One of the five major championships in senior golf, administered by the United States Golf Association (USGA), the U.S. Senior Open is recognized as a major championship by both the PGA Tour Champions and the European Senior Tour. Established in 1980 due to remarkable growth in professional and amateur senior golf, the U.S. Senior Open is for golfers 50 and older. “To have this opportunity to help golfers be at peak performance at one of the most prestigious tournaments and to represent my local community is really special,” Dr. Belitsky added.
This year’s tournament included some of the best golfers in the world. Padraig Harrington of Ireland won the Open in a close final round of the championship. Fans lucky enough to be one of up to 20,000 daily spectators this year got to walk the course and watch big names like Jim Furyk, Olin Browne, Roger Chapman, Fred Funk, Bernhard Langer, Jeff Maggert, Colin Montgomerie, Gene Sauers, Steve Stricker and David Toms.
Although Dr. Belitsky can’t say the names of those who came to the Performance and Recovery tent, the team treated over 190 golfers and caddies, including many whom he has admired for years. “For a golf enthusiast like me, it’s a lot of fun to not only meet the players but get a behind-the-scenes look at the Open,” said Dr. Belitsky. “It’s a really exciting event to be a part of, especially when you’ve had an impact on a golfer’s success.”