Based on the evidence that has now accumulated on lower back pain in golfers, here are some tips to avoid or reduce pain:
- Warm up: Golf swings usually stress the lumbar spine. Warming up and stretching before enduring this type of spinal stress can help to prevent injury. ...
- Evaluate your swing mechanics and adjust accordingly: Side bending is particularly problematic for golfers because it can lead to spinal injury and spinal degeneration. ...
- Practice swings on your dominant and non-dominant sides: Some lower back problems arise because of the asymmetry of trunk rotation that occurs when golfers only swing on the right or ...
- Use good posture: When people slouch while playing golf, they are more likely to develop lower back pain. ...
- Improve your trunk rotation flexibility: Over-rotating while swinging a golf club is associated with lower back pain. ...
- Don’t carry your clubs on one shoulder: Golfers who carry their own clubs are more likely to have lower back pain than those who use a different type of transport ...
- Take breaks: Playing excessively increases the likelihood of injury, and players who play with higher frequency are more likely to endure lower back pain than those who play less often. ...
How to prevent low back pain from golf?
- Respect your pain. “No pain no gain” doesn’t apply.
- Prepare and train to play golf.
- Seek professional guidance to improve golf swing biomechanics.
- Pace your playing.
- Warm-up with flexibility and stretching exercises.
What are the causes of lower back pain in golfers?
The symptoms of sacroiliac joint (SI Joint) pain include the following:
- Pain in the lower back
- Pain in the buttocks, hips, groin, and pelvis
- Numbness and weakness in pelvis and legs
- Burning sensation in the pelvis
- Sharp pains radiating down the legs
What sports are safest for people with lower back pain?
- Elliptical Trainer. Elliptical machines are great for people with back pain or joint pain because they put very little stress on the back and other joints.
- Stationary Bikes. ...
- Treadmill. ...
- Weight Machines. ...
- Avoid These Machines. ...
What are the best exercises for low back pain?
The 10 Best Lower Back Exercises
- Barbell Bent-Over Rows. If you want to improve your strength while developing various muscles throughout the body, you’ll be hard pushed to find a better exercise than the barbell ...
- Back Extensions. Note: The illustration above shows the more advanced variant of this exercise (the Superman). ...
- Rack Pulls. ...
- Deadlifts. ...
- Good Mornings. ...
- Bird Dogs. ...
- Supermans. ...
How do I stop my back from hurting when I play golf?
5 EASY TIPS TO PREVENT OR REDUCE BACK PAIN DUE TO GOLFING:Warm-Up Properly. Studies have shown that golfers who have stiffer back rotation and less joint range of motion have more back pain. ... Improve Your Swing Mechanics. ... Maintain Neutral Spine Positioning. ... Strengthen Your Core. ... Don't Try to Play Like a Pro.
Why does golf make my back hurt?
Low, middle, and upper back pain are common symptoms of golf-related injuries. Golf is a game of muscle memory, and its repetitive motions can lead to inflammation, strains, and other injuries of the muscles and discs of the spine, throwing you off your game.
How do you strengthen your lower back for golf?
4:596:29Best Lower Back Exercises for Golfers - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow another great and simple exercise to improve your rotational core stability strength is using aMoreNow another great and simple exercise to improve your rotational core stability strength is using a side plank. With a tara band.
Why does my lower back hurt when I swing a golf club?
Poor muscles strength in the lower back can often result in strains, due to the intense pressure that golf swings place upon these muscles. Incorporating strength-building exercises that target the muscles of the lower back can effectively mitigate injuries.
Is lower back pain common in golf?
Lower back pain is also the most common complaint seen amongst professional golfers on all tours (data suggest over 23% play with lower back pain).
How do I loosen my lower back before golf?
Sunrise Stretch: Start by laying on the ground with your knees pulled up toward your chest. With your hand that is next to the ground, grasp the top of your knees to stabilize your trunk and low back. Then with the top arm straight in front of your body, rotate your trunk to stretch your thoracic spine.
Why does my lower back get tight when I golf?
In short, pain can occur when the supporting structures for the low back aren't balanced and healthy. Factors contributing to low back tightness include weak gluteal and core muscles, inflexible rotator cuff muscles and a lack of mobility in the upper back (thoracic spine).
Is golf good for weight loss?
Golf can absolutely help you lose weight. Walking an 18-hole golf course in four hours can burn up to 800 calories, or even more if the terrain is hilly and if you are carrying your golf clubs in a carry bag.
How to prevent back pain in golf?
As with any type of injury, making sure your body is trained to handle the golf movements is critical if you want to stay healthy and avoid long periods of forced healing. Preventing injury requires hard work, awareness and an opportunity to prevent the damage from happening again.
What to do if you have back pain?
If you’re already suffering from back pain or spinal injuries, there are a variety of treatment options available. Some involve the use of sports medicine, others involve spinal surgeons, and then there are options that cater to our body’s natural ability to heal itself.
How do abdominal muscles help prevent back injuries?
Abdominal muscles help prevent injuries to the back, keeping your spine healthy, reducing muscle strain and so much more.
What muscles help support the back?
The big glute muscles help support the back muscles and take pressure off of the smaller, more vulnerable back muscles. The muscles of our body work together to make things happen; if one muscle set is too weak or too stiff, it impacts the other muscles around them.
What is the role of the core in golf?
When the core is weak, it increases the strain on the joints within the lower back during the rotational movements of a golf swing. A weak core can also impact your posture during the golf swing. When you struggle to maintain a good posture, ...
What happens if you wind into your backswing?
So let's think twice and swing once. When you wind into your backswing, slow to a stop and unload into your downswing, there is a lot of pressure on the spine. If the muscles around your spine are not strong enough to handle that pressure, injuries can follow.
What happens if you struggle to maintain a good posture?
When you struggle to maintain a good posture, not only do you risk injuries, but your inconsistent contact during your golf swing will often result in poorly struck golf shots. Your game will suffer as well. 2. Limited Rotational Mobility.
How to prevent back pain while golfing?
5 ways to prevent back pain while golfing. 1. Remember you’re not Tiger in his prime. Whether you’re a recent retiree who suddenly has more time to play or a once-a-month golfer, keep in mind that your body probably isn’t as limber or amenable to change as it once was.
How to avoid back pain?
Golfer’s guide: 5 ways to avoid back pain. Warming up and controlling your swing can help prevent golf-related back pain. Every spring, weekend golfers dust off their clubs and hit the links, eager to live out fantasies of playing like Tiger Woods or Jordan Spieth. But if you’ve spent a long winter relaxing on the couch, ...
How to play golf before hitting a ball?
Before you hit a ball, gently stretch your lower, middle, and upper back, as well as your shoulders and neck.
How to get full extension swing?
Before you hit a ball, gently stretch your lower, middle, and upper back, as well as your shoulders and neck. Then take a few easy practice swings, focusing on your form and biomechanics . Slowly increase the range and speed of your practice swings until you get to a full extension. 3.
Can golf cause back pain?
But if you’ve spent a long winter relaxing on the couch, your back may not be in golfing shape just yet. Low, middle, and upper back pain are common symptoms of golf-related injuries. Golf is a game of muscle memory, and its repetitive motions can lead to inflammation, strains, and other injuries of the muscles and discs of the spine, ...
Is golf hard to swing?
As you get older, you’ll have to face your mortality in many ways. Golf is no exception. You might find season to season that you can’t swing as hard, and that’s OK. You’re probably not playing for a $1 million prize – take it easy, relax, and enjoy the social and exercise components of your sport.
Is Pilates good for your back?
The muscles around the abdomen and back help support the spine, and having a strong core reduces the risk of injury as you swing and bend. Pilates can be particularly effective for core strengthening at any age.
What happens when you backswing?
Often times, one of the most common mistakes made in the backswing is allowing the spine to over rotate. This can start to compress your lower vertebrae and leave you in some severe lower back pain at the end of a round.
Can a downswing hurt your back?
Now, the downswing is where a lot of the damage to your back can be caused. You must refrain from throwing your arms and shoulders from the top of the swing down into impact. I know it feels powerful, but this is going to hurt you. You need to use your legs just as you did in the backswing.
How to relieve back pain from golf?
Relieving Lower Back Pain From a Golf Injury. To relieve the associated pain and stimulate the healing process from injuries related to golf, the advice is to take a rest for a day or two. Apply heat to the affected area and also take pain relief, such as naproxen or ibuprofen, is helpful in reducing inflammation.
Why do you do warm ups before golf?
Golfers who do warmups before golfing suffer fewer injuries as compared to those who do not. When you warm up, flexibility is improved, reducing your limitation on your range of motion. Stiff ligaments and muscles are prone to injury.
What is the lumbar spine?
The lumbar spine is only meant for stability purposes of the upper torso. You instead use your pelvis and hips to create most of the rotation. This may be achieved by getting the bodyweight correctly to the left leg while you hit the golf ball.
What should your knee be in during a downswing?
Your right knee should be maintained in a bent position, and your left shoulder turned downwards during your backswing. Slightly squat the lower body during downswing as you shift the greater majority of the bodyweight to the left leg. The shoulder and level of hips should be turned open on impact.
What are some exercises to strengthen lower back muscles?
Exercising to build strength that targets lower back muscles can efficiently prevent injuries. Pull-down and rowing exercises are the most recommended forms of exercise here.
What is the backswing?
Backswing. To ensure the protection of your spine during the backswing, you are to maintain your right knee bent and turn the left shoulder towards the ground. Turning your shoulder down uses the mid-back. The lower back should not be twisted. The mid-back is the one that is supposed to rotate, but not the lower back.
Can golfers get back pain?
Actually, back pain resulting from golfing activities represents a fifth of all the injuries that are reported by golfers. Though back pain is common, it is not easily avoidable. To mitigate the risk of golfers suffering from golf back injuries, simple precautionary measures can be taken. Here we are going to take a look into a number ...
Why is sitting all day bad for you?
Sitting all day is detrimental to our bodies for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that your muscles tend to shorten, especially around your lower back and hips. This tightness can contribute to swing flaws like S-Posture and early extension. This phenomenon is known as Lower Cross Syndrome (LCS).
Can you stretch your lower back?
The best stretch you can do for your lower back (and your golf swing) Golfers need to be flexible and mobile in order to have an efficient golf swing, but that can be hard to do when we’re sitting for hours on end at a desk. Sitting all day is detrimental to our bodies for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact ...
How to prevent lower back injuries?
3 steps to prevent lower back injuries. 1. Develop as much mobility as you can. It can’t be overstated how important good mobility is for the golf swing, but mobility of your thoracic spine and shoulders is essential for preventing lower back injuries. As Dr. James explains, the more mobility you have in your upper back and shoulders, ...
Why do back injuries occur?
Why back injuries occur. According to Dr. James, back injuries are typically caused by repetitive asymmetrical twisting movements a la the golf swing. The violent repetitive motion combined with whatever genetic predispositions to injury you may have is a recipe for injury. Fitness.
How to wake up glutes?
To wake up your glutes, you’ll need to work on their flexibility and strength. The flexibility will allow you to move well through your swing and the strength will help support and protect your lower back. Try doing clamshells as shown below to build strength in these important muscles.
How does core strength help your back?
Having proper core strength endurance will help stabilize your back as you rotate through your swing, protecting your lower back from injury.
Does Tiger Woods have back problems?
Tiger Woods’ name instantly pops into my mind when I think golf and back injuries, but other big names like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau have also dealt with back injuries at one point in their careers. All of this to say, back injuries are common among golfers.
Is back injury common in golf?
Lower back injuries are common among golfers. This article was published in partnership with GolfForever. You don’t need to look very far in golf to understand that back injuries are pretty common among golfers. Tiger Woods’ name instantly pops into my mind when I think golf and back injuries, but other big names like Rory McIlroy ...
Is a six pack good for golf?
Having a six pack is nice, but a strong core is far more important to your golf swing than it is for aesthetics. “You need core strength in the golf swing, but you also need core strength endurance,” says Dr. James. “Endurance is the ability to sustain a mild contraction over a long period of time.”.
How to protect your spine when golfing?
1. BACKSWING. The keys to protect your spine on the backswing are maintaining a bent right knee and turning your left shoulder downward ( above, right ). Many golfers try to rotate the shoulders level ( above, left ), but turning the left shoulder down lets the thoracic spine (mid-back) and not the lumbar spine (lower back) handle the twisting.
What happens when your knee straightens on the backswing?
If the right knee straightens on the backswing, the right side of the pelvis moves considerably higher than the left, tilting the bottom vertebrae to the left, which puts stress on them. 2. DOWNSWING. Use the ground to create a powerful but safe swing.
What is the lumbar spine?
As I said before, the lumbar spine is meant to stabilize your upper torso, not turn it. Instead, you want your hips and pelvis to do most of the rotational work, and you can achieve that by getting your weight well into your left leg as you strike the ball ( above, right ). 4. FINISH.
What happens if you don't squat?
If you don't squat, you might turn your hips but you won't move your pelvis forward enough ( above, left ). Then the only way you can get power is to torque your spine. As the club swings down, the torque increases, ramping up the stress level--that means pain. 3. IMPACT.
How to reduce back stress?
Instead, thrust your pelvis toward the target. This requires the left glute and core muscles to absorb the stress. Push forward and stand up: You should be at your normal standing height at the finish. There'll always be stress on the back, but these tips will reduce the load.
What muscles do you use to jump off the ground?
Your quadriceps (thigh muscles) and glutes (butt) are great power sources, and this squat move uses them and promotes a lateral motion to the left side.
Why is golf so popular?
The increased popularity of golf may be due to demographics, with baby boomers having more time and disposable income, and may be due to the fact that technology is producing golf equipment that makes the game easier. Whatever the reason, golf is certainly enjoying ...
Can golf cause back pain?
However, like any other sport, golf can produce injuries to the low back and spine. One very common golf injury is low back pain (usually due to muscle strains and sprains). Additionally, people who suffer from chronic or recurrent episodes of low back pain can be frustrated because the pain hinders their ability to play golf.
