By Donal Gleeson.
My injuries started around 2011 and I was just coming off the back of huge wins at the Heritage Challenge and the Irish PGA Championships and I was a month away from my first European Tour start. I was warming up before the Slieve Russell Pro-Am and I remember a trailer being at the back of the range and hitting driver at it and everything was fine. Next minute I woke up in a heap on the ground and my back had gone into spasm.
That’s where it all started and it turned out I had herniated three disks in my lower spine, which has now developed further into osteoarthritis in my back (and also my hand, but that’s from an accident) and it was down to having poor posture as a junior golfer and doing lots of practice. Obviously that was before the days golf coaching was prominent and affordable and we just took our bags and went out and hit balls all day long.
By the time it ‘broke’, the damage was already done. It’s irreparable and since that time, it’s just been a case of injury maintenance. I’ve been taking anti-inflammatories and painkillers before every single round of golf I’ve played as well as undertaking a fairly heavy physio routine in REVO Health but nothing really made it any better and the pain was still there.
That was until I came across CBD and I dabbled in it a little before rounds and it seemed to help. A little more investigation led me to an Irish company called Floreo Botanicals and one of the guys there had been a fitness coach of mine in my younger years on the Leinster Boys team. He got me set up with some CBD product and I’m not underselling it when I say that since that day, my life has changed, both on and off the golf course.
Absolutely delighted to be teaming up with @floreobotanicals as an ambassador from 2022. 100% Irish grown and cold pressed CBD Oil, certified THC, herbicide, pesticide and chemical detergent free. Available in store/ online from January. #cbd #floreo #hempoil #gleesongolfacademy pic.twitter.com/zqK7zdxsGj
— Gleeson Golf Academy ?? (@donaljgleeson) December 21, 2021
I had played a little before discovering the product and some days were OK but I had so many dark days where I was playing and then all of a sudden, I’d have to stop and retire from an event because of the pain. That was a very difficult time for me as while I was playing OK, it was nowhere near what I used to be or what I was capable of and that’s a hard truth to take. Also, it could strike without warning at any time so the anxiety was always there.
We’ve all seen the images of Tiger Woods in tears with back pain and we also saw him win a Major with a broken leg, so those that have this pain will know that it’s not about toughing it out, it’s totally debilitating and leaves you with a complete lack of mobility.
After the injury, I had given up hope of being competitive and I ended up moving away from playing and more into coaching. Having been at the top of my game and fallen so far, I never thought I’d be able to compete again. The Floreo Botanicals CBD product has helped me enormously in that regard in terms of pain management and inflammation reduction and I’m now back competing on the Irish PGA circuit, pain-free!
I haven’t taken any anti-inflammatories or pain killers of any description since I tied in with the Floreo guys. Coupled with the physio which I was doing before I started taking the product, my swing speed has gone back up by 8-9mph, my mobility is vastly improved, my range of movement has gone up, my inflammation has gone way down. I have no pain playing golf or generally outside of golf which has improved my quality of life off the golf course too, and with a young baby around the house now that’s pretty important!
The Floreo product is grown and created in Ireland without the use of herbicides or pesticides. It’s totally natural and THC free, and is squeezed straight from the plant. It’s gluten free, vegan and it comes in a liquid form that you take under your tongue as required or you can take it in capsules. There are no additives or anything unnatural put into the oil when it’s produced.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without it, and I love that it’s Irish. I firmly believe that and I hope it can help other people in similar situations.
ABOUT
- Donal Gleeson is the Head Professional at Old Conna Golf Club, a tuition contributor to Irish Golfer and a TGI Golf partner.
- If you’d like more information about Floreo CBD, visit www.floreobotanicals.com
- Irish Golfer readers can avail of a 20% discount by using code Irishgolferfx20 at the checkout
- To enquire about stocking the product in your golf shop email golf@floreobotanicals.com
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