Pain-free golf is hardly possible any longer. But I do what I can to stay young and play hard.
I'm now in my mid-60s. Ex-pro athlete 40 years ago. I couldn't possibly address all the pain and issues this body has dealt with in order to maintain a decent level of golf (mid single-digit index), but trust me, it is not a simple effort to do so each day. This post alone is long enough..er, aah, way too long. So, sorry for that.
After many consecutive years of playing 170-200 rounds a year, this is now the 2nd year in a row, due to injury, I won't be able to come close to that. I was out for 17 weeks last year, 5 of which were due to Covid shutdown, but the remainder as a result of overuse injuries. This year, it's two different back issues that have kept me out for the entire summer. (One, a herniated disk as a result of a fender-bender. No surgery, yet, but likely needed if I ever want the numbness in my left leg to go away.)
I own a multitude of industrial-sized ice packs and hospital-grade moist-heating pads, a Theragun and a neck/back massager. I use rolls and rolls of Kinseology Tape, do daily stretches and have just signed up for a GOLFFOREVER subscribtion (the Justin Leonard fitness program and app). We'll see if that helps. I have all sorts of braces and supports for just about every joint I use in golf--shoulder. elbow, wrist, ankle, upper back, lower back, etc.--and take glucosamine and chondroitin to help keep things running as smoothly as possible. I see a chiropractor every week to keep my back loose, primarily for golf.
There is a TPI-certified physical therapist in town with whom I would love to work, specifically for my golf game, but cost is an issue for me now that I have reached Medicare age.
Since my last shoulder surgery 10 or 11 years ago, I finally just caved in to the idea of giving up my steel shafts and purchased a set of Aerotech SteelFiber i95s to limit reverberation through the shot. Probably should have done so years ago, but I'm stubborn. I may even have to consider a move up to the white tees soon!
For anyone who made it to the end of this post, thanks for hanging in!