low back pain when golf swing

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

1. 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 ...
2. Back Extensions. Note: The illustration above shows the more advanced variant of this exercise (the Superman). ...
3. Rack Pulls. ...
4. Deadlifts. ...
5. Good Mornings. ...
6. Bird Dogs. ...
7. Supermans. ...

More items...

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.

How do I stop my lower 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 my back hurt when playing golf?

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 I stop my back from hurting in the golf swing?

Here are some additional tips to protect your back from injury or prevent further injury on the course.Raise your front heel during the backswing. ... Form an "I" between your hips and shoulders. ... Shorten the backswing to decrease the rotational and side bending movements on the lower back.Stand closer to the golf ball.More items...

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.

How do you stretch your lower back before golfing?

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.

Should I play golf with lower back pain?

For the millions of people who have long-standing low back pain, golf can still be an enjoyable sport. Using the right equipment, alongside a regular routine of stretching and low-impact exercise, will go a long way in helping maintain one's ability to play golf.

How do I strengthen my golf core?

3 Core Golf ExercisesStanding Anti-Rotation. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding the handle of a resistance band in both hands. ... Side Planks. Lie on your right side propped up on your elbow with your left foot slightly in front of your right foot. ... Glute Bridges.

Is golf bad for your body?

Although golf is a low-impact sport, it's associated with several injuries. Many golfing-related injuries are a result of poor mechanics or overuse. The most commonly injured area is the lower back. Other injured areas can include the elbow, wrist and hand, and shoulder.

Is it normal to be sore after golfing?

Back. The twisting and rotating that goes on during your golf swing can put a lot of stress on your back and for that reason, a little soreness now and then is very normal.

How many calories do I burn walking 18 holes of golf?

1,200-3,000 caloriesFor an 18-hole round of golf, which can run from 4-5.5 hours, a walking golfer can burn anywhere from 1,200-3,000 calories. A golfer won't burn quite as many calories if they're walking the course but using a push cart, but the energy expended to push or pull a walking cart will come close to making up the difference.

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 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.

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 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.

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.

What causes back pain in golf swing?

Among professional golfers who are experiencing back pain, a musculoskeletal issue is usually responsible. Among amateurs and casual players, however, the cause of back pain is often incorrect swing ...

Why is it important to warm up your back for golf?

Stiff muscles and ligaments are far more prone to injury, so it is important to implement warm-up exercises that loosen the back and prepare yourself for golf swing motions. Poor muscles strength in the lower back can often result in strains, due to the intense pressure that golf swings place upon these muscles.

How common is golf injury?

And yet, orthopaedic injuries caused by golf are common. According to golf injury statistics, approximately 15 - 20% of golfers experience injuries of some kind each year. Of the injuries typically experienced by golf athletes, back pain from golf swing is the most common by far.

How to reduce back pain?

Incorporating strength-building exercises that target the muscles of the lower back can effectively mitigate injuries. Rowing exercises (pulling rubber tubing attached to a shoulder height object toward your chest) and pull down exercises (kneeling and holding rubber tubing that is attached to a shoulder height object over your head, ...

Why do golfers warm up before playing?

Sports injury surveys have shown that golf athletes who warm up prior to activity experience less than half the number of injuries as those who did not. Warming up increases and improves flexibility, which reduces limitations on the player’s range of motion.

Can golfers hurt their back?

In fact, back pain from playing golf accounts for 20% of all reported injuries among golfers. While back pain may be common, it’s far from unavoidable. Golfers can effectively mitigate the risk of golf back injuries by implementing simple precautionary measures.

Can golf cause back pain?

Orthopaedic injuries caused by golf are certainly not limited to back pain from golf swing. Golfers may experience injuries to the shoulders, arms, knees, or feet; golfer’s elbow is among the most common golf-related injuries, and plantar fasciitis is likewise frequently experienced.

What is the S position in golf?

S-posture – is a setup position created by the player having too much arch in their low back by sticking out the tail bone too much. This excessive curve in the low back inhibits the core muscles from firing correctly during the swing and places abnormal stresses on the low back.

What are the main swing faults?

There are 3 main swing faults that contribute to developing lower back symptoms . 1. Reverse spine angle – r aising up in the back-swing causing the torso to point away from the target instead of toward it. This makes it very difficult to start the downswing in the proper sequence, due to the lower body being placed in a position ...

Why is it important to sequence the body correctly during a downswing?

During the downswing, it’s important to sequence the body correctly, but also of equal importance is transferring your weight to the lead leg and allowing your body to rotate around the lead hip versus keeping your weight on the trail leg.

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 ...

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).

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.

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 is the L5-S1 disc space?

The force generated by a golf swing largely stresses the L5-S1 disc space because the joints at this segment allow considerable rotation The other joints in the low back allow more flexion/extension and not as much rotation and are relatively protected. (See also Spinal Anatomy and Back Pain .)

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 .

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 ...

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 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 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.