Australian Mark Hensby has sought advice from Jose Maria Olazabal amid fears he has the same injury which almost ended the double US Masters champion's career.
Olazabal withdrew from the 1995 Ryder Cup with a foot injury which was initially diagnosed as rheumatoid polyarthritis and saw him confined to a wheelchair.
He feared his playing days were over until the problem was correctly identified by German doctor Hans Wilhelm Muller-Wolfhart as a disc problem in his lower back, and the Spanish star eventually returned to competition after an 18-month absence.
Hensby's injuries are a result of a car crash earlier this year in America and could force him to cut short his season after defending his title in this week's Scandinavian Masters in Malmo, which starts today over the Barseback course.
"I damaged my leg, back and had a lot of whiplash," explained the 35-year-old from Melbourne. "My feet have been really bad, and I really have been struggling to walk 18 holes. I would say this will probably be my last event of the year.
"I talked to Olazabal, and he had a very similar thing to what I have got - so at least I know where to look."
Many of Europe's top players have chosen to miss the €1.5 million event in Malmo after a busy period on the European Tour, but former US Open champion Michael Campbell is among the 159-strong field.
The New Zealander is fifth favourite for the title behind home favourites Henrik Stenson, Carl Pettersson, Niclas Fasth and last week's winner Robert Karlsson - four of a record 48 Swedes competing - but he is struggling to find top form.
There are six Irishman in the field: Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey, Stephen Browne, David Higgins and Gary Murphy.
And there will be 37 home competitors in the €130,000 Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge which starts today over the Mahoney's Point course at the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club.
For a man who has missed eight out of 12 cuts and lies 198th on the European Challenge Tour rankings, Colm Moriarty is surprisingly confident as he looks to lead the Irish charge.
Moriarty's results this season have been, by his own admission, "pretty shocking", but those statistics belie an unshakeable faith that his career will soon flourish.
Much of that belief stems from his five-month partnership with coach Pete Cowan, who is helping the Athlone 27-year-old redefine his swing.
"I want to be competing in Majors and winning events and trying to play in Ryder Cups," said Moriarty, whose best performance of the year came at his biggest event of the season - the Nissan Irish Open, where he finished 19th.
"I think you have to set your goals that high if you are going to believe that you can do it."
