Low back pain may radiate into the buttocks, back of the thigh, into the groin. Back pain (lumbago) may be aggravated during movement. Pain from bending forward, backward or side-to-side may limit activity. Spinal muscle spasms cause the back to feel stiff and sore.
What causes back pain in golf?
Preventing Back Injuries from Golf
- Warm up with smooth, easy swings prior to getting out on the course
- Learn proper form and posture for playing golf, including a smooth, rhythmic swing in good balance
- Choose a golf bag with a built in stand to avoid having to lift it, and dual straps to avoid carrying an uneven load
What are the most common injuries in golf?
- Use proper back mechanics when lifting your bag.
- Bend through the knees (squat) when retrieving the ball.
- Consider switching to a putter with a longer shaft.
- Slow down the backswing to minimize rotational stress on the lower back at the top of the backswing.
- Adopt a big shoulder and hip turn on the backswing (classic swing technique).
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. ...
Is golf bad for your back?
These 3 Exercises Will Keep Your Back Safe on the Golf Course
- Planks. 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. The glute bridge is not strictly a core or lower back exercise. ...
- Take Care of Your Spine. ...
Can you injure your back 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.
Why does my back hurt after 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 you relieve back pain from golf?
For relief of the acute pain and to promote healing from golf-related muscle strains and low back pain, it is generally advisable to rest for a day or two, apply heat and/or ice, and take pain medication.
What are the most common injuries in golf?
The 5 Most Common Golf Injuries (and What to Do About Them)Back Pain. ... Rotator Cuff Injury. ... Tennis Elbow and Golf Elbow. ... Knee Pain and Damage. ... Tendinitis in the Wrists.
Can golf cause herniated 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.
What is a lumbar strain?
Lumbar muscle strain is caused when muscle fibers are abnormally stretched or torn. Lumbar sprain is caused when ligaments (the tough bands of tissue that hold bones together) are torn from their attachments. Both of these can result from a sudden injury or from gradual overuse.
Should you 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.
What muscles can you hurt playing golf?
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.
What injuries do golfers have?
8 of the Most Common Golf InjuriesGolf Back Injuries or Pain. ... Rotator Cuff Injury. ... Golfer's Elbow. ... Golf Wrist Injury Like Tendonitis. ... Knee Pain or Injury. ... Foot and Ankle Injuries. ... Golf Hip Injury. ... Sunburn.
What muscles get sore from golf?
While the most common area you're likely to feel some tightness is in your hamstrings, soreness can occur anywhere (calves, quads, groin).
How does golf affect your back?
How Golf Causes Low Back Pain 1 The full golf swing (backswing and follow-through) rotates the spine with a great deal of force and little control, leaving the structures in the lower back particularly open to injury 2 Spinal muscles, especially the lumbar spine muscles, strain to help provide force during the golf swing 3 Disc and facet joint loading increases also helping to provide force during the golf swing 4 Bending over to pick up the golf bag or even the golf ball or club may strain muscles as well as carrying the golf bag
Why is golf good for your back?
The exercise encourages blood flow , which in turn helps maintain a healthy back. However, due to the repeated twisting and force inherent in the golf swing, the sport also leaves the lower back susceptible to injury.
How to play golf properly?
Learn proper form and posture for playing golf, including a smooth, rhythmic swing in good balance. Choose a golf bag with a built in stand to avoid having to lift it, and dual straps to avoid carrying an uneven load .
What muscles are involved in golf swing?
The full golf swing (backswing and follow-through) rotates the spine with a great deal of force and little control, leaving the structures in the lower back particularly open to injury. Spinal muscles , especially the lumbar spine muscles, strain to help provide force during the golf 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.
Common Back Injuries Associated with Golf
While generally low back pain tops the list of back ailments that result from golf, Dr. Sekhon explains that golf-related back injuries typically fall into four categories. These include:
Shearing Force and Back Injuries
So, why are back injuries so prevalent in the golf world? Are they primarily caused by twisting forces in golf swings?
Dealing With and Preventing Back Injuries in Golf
When it comes to achieving a reduced-pain or even pain-free golf game, you can turn to some nonsurgical treatment methods and preventive measures, which Dr. Sekhon lists:
Golf Swing Modifications
A high-quality golf swing for a bad back is possible with modifications, along with other tweaks you can make.
Keep Teeing Off
Your regular golf games don’t need to come to a screeching halt from your back pain. With some tweaks and caring for your body, you could be playing golf for years to come.
How to heal a low back injury from golf?
Taking time off from golf will allow the muscles to heal more quickly. Continuing to stretch between golf sessions is advisable, as is continuing a low-impact aerobic exercise program, such as walking for 30 to 40 minutes every other day. After the low back pain has stopped, slowly return to playing golf and apply the prevention tips ...
How to relieve low back pain from golf?
For relief of the pain and to promote healing from golf-related injuries and low back pain, it is generally advisable to rest for a day or two , apply heat and/or ice, and take pain medication. Medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can help decrease inflammation, and acetaminophen may be taken in conjunction ...
How long does it take for a low back to stop hurting?
If the low back pain continues for more than two to six weeks, a specific and definable problem may be the cause of the back pain and a medical professional should be consulted.
How long does it take for a low back injury to heal?
Most acute low back injuries that occur during a game of golf will get better over a couple of days to weeks. The most common injuries from golf include: Muscle strains: typically occurs with rough or forceful golf swings or a sudden shift during the downswing.
What is the best medicine for back pain?
Medications like ibuprofen or naproxen can help decrease inflammation, and acetaminophen may be taken in conjunction with these medications to further help reduce low back pain and other types of pain. For more in-depth information, see The P.R.I.C.E. Protocol Principles on Sports-health.com. advertisement.
How to help back pain when golfing?
Prevention is the best prescription when it comes to confronting back pain. When you are not golfing, you can implement a few simple exercises to strengthen your abdominal and gluteal muscles. Crunches, planks, and hip thrusts can help strengthen your entire core area, increase flexibility and assist with rotation in your swing. 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 should er height object over your head, then pulling down toward your chest with bent elbows) are recommended.
How long does it take for back pain to go away after golf swing?
Most back pain from a golf swing will get better within a couple of days or a couple of weeks. Muscle strains are the most common injury and will respond to rest, ice, and minor rehab. Over-the-counter pain remedies and NSAID medications can help with the worst of the pain.
How to reduce injury from sports?
You can reduce your potential for injury from any sport with a few simple warmups. Cold muscles are more rigid and prone to injury, so try a few opening moves and stretches before you tee off.
What does the golf swing call for?
ANATOMY 101. Not only does the golf swing call for the spine to rotate, it forces it to do so at a tilt, over and over again, at excessive speed—not what the doctor ordered. Around that time, Francis parted ways with Flick, who’d always preached the primacy of rhythm over power.
What is Duffy's term for golf?
Duffy’s term for it is “golfer’s back, ” and he says that he sees it in increasingly younger players. “People in their early 20s who have been basically playing all their life,” Duffy says. “They’re playing junior tournaments, college golf, they’re trying to get on Tour.
Who won the British Open at 59?
So did Byron Nelson’s. Tom Watson came within a whisker of winning the British Open when he was 59. Along with 20 combined majors, what those three men shared, Chamblee says, were the languid, rhythmic passes they made at the ball, with ample lateral movement in the lower body.
How to avoid injury in golf?
HOW TO AVOID INJURY: Players who don't turn well in the backswing tend to pin the left arm across the chest ( above, 1). Turning the upper body can be physically challenging for some golfers; others find it just plain scary, because they feel as if they won't get back to hit the ball.
What happens when you lock your knee in golf?
Many golfers square the left foot and lock the knee in an internally rotated position (right, 1), which leads to an increased shearing force on the knee joint. The typical injury is to the medial meniscus and can lead to degeneration of the articular cartilage and arthritis. — Andrews.
What happens when you swing a golf shot?
WHAT HAPPENS: A strained lower back is the most common golf injury, and the one most likely to shorten a career. The modern power swing is all about the rotation of the pelvis through the shot. The torque this creates between the pelvis and the lumbar spine pulls the ligaments, tendons and muscles in that area. Also, the shearing effect can wear away the discs between the vertebrae in the lumbar spine, leading to disc disease; that's the real career-ender. — Andrews
What is a labral tear in golf?
But labral tears (torn cartilage) are becoming common and often can be traced to the backswing. When golfers keep the left arm tight to the chest as they swing back, they can tear the labrum that stabilizes the shoulder joint. This is called a posterior labral tear, and the golfer feels pain in the back of the shoulder. — Andrews
What is it called when you have tennis elbow?
It's called lateral epicondylitis , or tennis elbow. Golfer's elbow affects the inside of the trail arm and is caused by the repeated straining and rotation of that arm through impact, but it's less common. — Andrews. HOW TO AVOID INJURY: Many golfers confuse keeping the left arm straight with locking it (below, 1).
Can you play golf without a lower back injury?
The problem is, many golfers can't do that without a lower-back injury. Instead, try to turn everything in unison; the hips and shoulders should rotate back together and through together (2). You might sacrifice some power, but you'll save your back and stay in the game. — Johnson.
