how to prevent back pain when playing golf

^{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. ...

Why are back pain and spinal injuries plaguing golf?

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

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.

Why does my Back Hurt after golf?

Treating Low Back Pain and Back Injury from Golf

• Pain Relief After Low Back Pain Occurs. For relief of the acute pain and to promote healing from golf-related muscle strains and low back pain, it is generally advisable to ...
• Gentle Stretches for Flexibility. ...
• Exercises for Muscle Strength and Endurance. ...
• When to See a Physician for Low Back Pain. ...

Can golfing cause back pain?

Whatever the reason, golf is certainly enjoying a surge of popularity. 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).

Why does my back hurt when playing golf?

Golf requires serious stamina. The majority of back injuries from swinging are due to overuse and lack of control through the swing. The stronger your core, the more you are able to have a composed swing repetitively. Be sure to exercise and strengthen your hips, glutes, lats, and obliques — The core is more than abs!

How do I stop my back hurting from golf?

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.

Why does my lower back hurt when I play golf?

Golf is a natural cause for pain By its very nature, the rotational forces of the golf swing create inherent risk to the lumbar spine (lower back). This has been compounded by recent trends in golf instruction that encourage a restriction of hip turn in the backswing in an effort to “coil” for more power.

How do I strengthen my back for golf?

These 3 Exercises Will Keep Your Back Safe on the Golf CoursePlanks. For a tour-ready core, we recommend one exercise over all others: the plank. ... Seated Rotations. This exercise can help limber up your lumbar spine and keep your back safe as you follow through on every swing. ... Glute Bridges. ... Take Care of Your Spine.

How do you warm up your lower back for golf?

1:252:25Towson Chiropractor Golf Warm Up For Your Back - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipForward swing back swing forward again keeping my shoulders. Out. In front of me in this nice aMoreForward swing back swing forward again keeping my shoulders. Out. In front of me in this nice a frame here and just having that motion come from my pelvis am I hit.

What to do if your back hurts?

That way you can get answers as to what the problem is, some stretches or exercises that can make you stronger and remedy the situation, or provide some treatment to help the pressure off your back.

Is it normal to lose form on the first hole?

Fatigue happens in a lot of sports , after you’ve been going for awhile it’s normal to lose a bit of that good form you had on the first hole, but it’s important to keep reminding yourself to correct your form at the start of each swing.

Is rotation a problem?

Rotation on its own would not be particularly problematic, but the issue stems from it being combined with bending forwards. The degree of variation in the rotation comes from the different movements involved in more subtle movements like putting, to the more of a fast swing of a drive.

Is a swing better for your lower back?

Functionally, it’s a much better position for your lower back, and you’re going to get a nice, smooth swing. Structurally, this will protect your discs in the lower back and you’ll be only flexing from the hips rather than the lower back – this will mean the only stressor on your back becomes your rotation.

Can compression cause a disc to bulge?

Too much compression on your discs can result in eventually bulging or herniating a disc, which will cause much more constant pain and potentially affect your everyday life on a much bigger scale than the odd ache or pain here and there.

Can back pain be prevented by playing golf?

If you can make these amendments in your routine when playing golf, you should find that your back pain doesn’t ever get out of sorts, or too far along, that you can’t actually play.

Does bending forwards cause discs to be stressed?

Rotation in combination with the bending forwards can put even further stress on your discs. The variety in the movement can be a triggering factor on its own, since you might be putting extra force behind those two movements, it increases the compressive load as the muscles really tighten up to support the golf swing.

How to prevent back pain when playing golf?

1. Warm-up before playing golf to prevent low back pain. Going directly to the tee at 7 a.m., pulling out the driver, and then proceeding to try to hit the cover off the ball is probably the surest way to sprain one's back muscles and result in low back pain. Instead, a thorough warm-up before starting to golf—including stretching ...

Why do you need to bend over to pick up a golf bag?

4. Carrying the golf bag safely to prevent low back pain. Repeated bending over to pick up a golf bag can stress the low back and lead to a muscle strain. An integrated golf bag stand that opens when the bag is set on the ground can eliminate the need to bend over.

What is the objective of a golf swing?

The objective of a golf swing is to develop significant clubhead speed, and to do this a lot of torque (force) and torsion (twisting) is applied to the low back. Golfers should emphasize a smooth, rhythmic swing, as this produces less stress and less low back pain (such as minimizing muscular effort and disc and facet joint loading).

How to stretch hips and hamstrings?

The hips may be stretched by pulling the knee to the chest. The hamstrings maybe stretched by bending over and trying to touch the toes. Next, gently swinging a golf club helps warm up the necessary muscle groups and prepares them for the torque (force) and torsion (twisting) that a golf swing produces.

What are the four areas of prevention for the sport of golf?

Four key areas of prevention for the sport of golf include: warm-up, swing, bio-mechanics, and carrying the golf bag. 1.

What muscles do you need to get ready for golf?

First, start with stretching before beginning to play golf. Stretching should emphasize the shoulder, torso, and hip regions as well as the hamstring muscles .

Which part of the body rotates to share the load of the swing?

With a proper swing, the shoulder, pelvis (hip), and thoracolumbar segments (chest and lower spine) rotate to share the load of the swing. The shoulder and hip turn, along with the wrist snap, will produce more clubhead velocity than a stiff arm swing.

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 avoid back pain when playing golf?

Use good posture: When people slouch while playing golf, they are more likely to develop lower back pain. Ensuring that you keep good posture is therefore a simple strategy for avoiding back pain when golfing. Improve your trunk rotation flexibility: Over-rotating while swinging a golf club is associated with lower back pain.

How to prevent back pain from golf swing?

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.

Why is it important to have fewer strokes in golf?

The cumulative load is thought to be the major issue leading to lower back pain in golfers, so fewer strokes overall may be more important than the way in which the ball is hit. It’s also important to ensure that the muscles that are engaged during golf get proper rest, which requires that golfers put a limit to how much time they spend golfing so ...

Why do you lift the lead heel on your back?

Lifting the lead heel at the end of the backswing is recommended to ensure that more rotation occurs in your pelvis than in your spine.

Does golf cause lower back pain?

Many avid golfers, though, know too well the pain - particularly lower back pain - that can come with spending a lot of time on the golf course. Luckily, there is ample scientific research into the reasons why and the ways in which golf leads to lower back pain. Data from these studies can help golfers understand how best to mitigate their risk ...

Is golf considered an exercise?

Tweet. Golf is a popular sport, but because it’s often thought of as a leisure activity, its health benefits are often overlooked. Similarly, people tend not to recognize that golf can lead to painful physical injuries and so do not treat playing golf as athletic exercise. Many avid golfers, though, know too well the pain - particularly lower back ...

Can you carry golf clubs on one shoulder?

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 system. The problem with carrying clubs is likely the stress placed on one shoulder when clubs are carried with a single strap.