
Playing Golf with Low Back Pain
- Use a Golf Cart. Many golfers continue to play as they age, and most expect to be able to continue to play during their retirement years.
- Wear Supportive Footwear. Ill-fitting shoes may cause or contribute to back pain. ...
- Modify the Golf Swing. An ideal golf swing is smooth, fluid, and rhythmic. ...
- Golfing After Spine Surgery. ...
How to protect your spine during a golf 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.
How do you turn your shoulder down on a golf swing?
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. The straightening of your right knee during the backswing makes the right side of your pelvis move higher compared to the left.
Why does my back hurt during my golf swing?
When it comes to amateurs, back pain often results from using the wrong swing technique. 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.
How to take the club away with a connected swing?
The correct way to take the club away with a connected swing is to ensure that the club and the left arm stays a straight line. The club’s pointing up your left shoulder. But more importantly, the club head moved back low and slow away from the golf ball.

How can I play golf with a bad lower back?
For the millions of people who have long-standing low back pain, golf can still be an enjoyable sport....Modify the Golf SwingStand closer to the ball.Keep the backswing short, to help reduce the load on the back. ... Rotate the head slightly, with the nose aligning over the right foot, rather than keeping the head still.
How do you swing with a bad back?
3:385:53How to play golf with a bad back. - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThrough you're gonna feel a lot less stress in the back plus you're gonna get a lot more club headMoreThrough you're gonna feel a lot less stress in the back plus you're gonna get a lot more club head speed by using the legs effectively to help rotate. The body just remember we want to stay level.
Is playing golf bad for lower back pain?
Golf makes an excellent low-impact aerobic exercise, which is often recommended for individuals with back pain.
Can I play golf with a herniated disc?
Low back pain is common, and if a herniated disc is the source of your pain, movements such as bending and twisting can be difficult. Disc herniations can affect your golf swing, and your golf swing can exacerbate discs.
Can I still play golf with sciatica?
However, the pain caused by ruptured discs, pinched nerves, spinal stenosis and sciatica can turn the act of swinging a golf club into a study in agony. By taking some simple lifestyle precautions, you can continue to enjoy golfing and help prevent becoming one of the thousands of golfers who experience back pain.
Why does my 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 golf bad for degenerative disc disease?
The golf swing imparts a large amount of torque or twisting force on the spine. This can lead to an overload of the discs and small joints of the lower back as well as injuring the muscles of the lower back. This can lead to pain and loss of mobility of the lower back.
Can golfing cause a bulging disc?
Treating Back Pain from Golf Repeated and extreme movements can potentially cause disc injuries, including disc herniation or a ruptured disc. These conditions are most often treated with pain management therapies to address the severe pain, followed by a long-term program of rehab and strengthening.
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.
Can I play golf with spinal stenosis?
If you've had a spinal stenosis surgery, you may even wonder if golf is possible. The answer for many is yes, but there are a number of considerations to keep in mind. First, recognize that golfing is not really the best thing for your low back. The golf swing imparts a tremendous amount of stress to your lumbar spine.
How long after herniated disc can I golf?
Usually by 16 weeks after surgery patients can return to a full round of golf. If a patient at any time experiences a flare-up of symptoms they should put their regimen on hold for at least 4 weeks and then begin back at step 1 with strength and flexibility exercises.
What are the modifications to a golf swing?
Modifications typically comprise a relaxed posture, 31-inch back swings, increased hand action, and a shorter finish.
Why is flexibility important in golf?
Stretching and maintaining flexibility will be even more important to individuals with low back pain in order to prevent further injury or muscle strain related to golf. Individuals with chronic low back pain tend to lose flexibility, and if a stretching program is not maintained on a daily basis, the resulting loss in flexibility will lead ...
Can you play golf with low back pain?
Playing Golf with Low Back Pain. For the millions of people who have chronic, long-standing low back pain, golf can still be an enjoyable sport. However, a regular routine of stretching and low-impact exercise is critical to maintain the ability to play golf.
Can you walk on a golf cart?
Although they will lose the advantage of the exercise they would get walking the golf course , riding will allow them to continue to enjoy golfing.
Can you play golf as you get older?
Many golfers continue to play as they age, and most expect to be able to continue to play during their retirement years. Unfortunately, some elderly individuals will develop conditions such as spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis, which makes it very difficult for them to walk any significant distances on the golf course. For those individuals who have difficulty walking the golf course because of pain, using a golf cart is a perfectly reasonable option. Although they will lose the advantage of the exercise they would get walking the golf course, riding will allow them to continue to enjoy golfing. People with spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis can maintain their aerobic conditioning with stationary biking, which is usually a better tolerated form of exercise than walking.
