If you experience back pain during or after a round of golf, then your pain is most likely caused from your body movement during the game. The most common complaint from golfers is pain in the low back or lumber region. However, golfers may also experience pain in the middle or upper back.
Full Answer
Can golf cause low 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).
Should you hire a golf professional for lower back pain?
For anyone with lower back problems, it is a good idea to consider hiring a golf professional who is experienced at teaching golfers with bad backs. Ideally, this type of golf professional will be able to explain and help practice postures and techniques that reduce back strain and prevent back pain.
How does the golf swing affect the lower back?
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.
What happens if you don’t treat your back pain?
Whether it’s a dislocated disc or nerve damage causing intense pain to shoot up your spine, not treating your back pain (and prevent it from happening in the first place) is never a good solution. Left untreated, you risk even serious injuries and debilitating pain and suffering.
How do golfers deal with back pain?
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.
Should I play golf if my back hurts?
Pain Relief After Low Back Pain Occurs Rest from pain-inducing activities will allow the muscles to heal quickly. It is generally not advisable to further stress inflamed muscles by continuing to play golf through an episode of low back pain. However, excessive rest beyond 2 days can prolong recovery.
How do I loosen up my back for golf?
Golf stretches for your backStart facing the back of the bench, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the back of the chair and take a step back until your arms are extended.Lower your upper body, keeping your back straight. Continue until you feel the stretch in your armpits. ... Repeat 2 to 5 times on each side.
How do I prevent lower back pain when golfing?
To protect your back, maintain a bent right knee and turn your left shoulder downwards on the backswing; squat your lower body slightly during the downswing; shift the vast majority of your weight to your left leg with your shoulder and hips level and turned open upon impact; and thrust your pelvis toward the target ...
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.
Can you play golf with degenerative disc disease?
Golfers with disc conditions and/or difficulty sitting for extended periods or bending: Avoid prolonged sitting or bending. Consider resuming golf by swinging the longer irons and woods with 50% effort. Slowly work toward using the shorter clubs, chipping and putting.
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).
How do you become more flexible in golf?
Roll up to the course just before your tee time. Hit some golf balls. Play 18 holes. Perplexed by why you feel tight during and after your round....These 5 simple stretches will improve your flexibility and help your golf swingTwisting Stretch. ... Hip Press. ... Scarecrow Twists. ... Standing Side Stretch. ... Shoulder Flossing.
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.
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.
How to rotate your hips?
To get the hips and thoracic spine involved in the rotation, take a golf club and hold at both ends with your feet shoulder width apart. Rotate the club to each side. Allow your hips to rotate with this motion and shift your weight to the opposite toe. Complete 20 repetitions.
How Your Pain Effects Your Game
Limited Shoulder Flexibility. This may cause a flattening of the swing, can reduce your stamina and even your consistency.
How to Stand
You want to stand in a neutral position. The Mayo Clinic says that major deviation from the neutral position is considered a loss of posture that can decrease your ability and increase the chance of further injury.
How to Swing
Early Extension. This is one of the most common flaws in golf players but we have some good news. It's correctable. Early extensions take place if the player's hips move forward toward the golf ball while in swing mode. The result affects the extension of your spine and limits your ability to rotate.
How to Do it All Despite Your Pain
Physical therapy is a great way to stay active and can be as simple as a few exercises targeted to relieve the area of pain on your body.
Contributors and Experts
Dr. Scott Rosner is a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician through the American Board of Chiropractic Sports Physicians practicing at Weymouth Chiropractic.
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.
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.
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.
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 Is Golf Bad for Your Back?
A common belief circulates amongst people about golf not being a physically challenging sport. However, they fail to understand the twisting of the spine, the disc compressions, or the bending. During golf, the spine experiences a lot of torque, pressure, and energy.
Common Errors
In addition to this, several incorrect postures and techniques in golf can also worsen lower back pain. Some of them include:
Back Injuries and their Symptoms
The severity of the back injuries vary. The symptoms may appear gradually over time or not at all. Some golf-related back injuries include:
Precautionary Measures
Golf-related problems are not limited to just the lower back but also the thoracic and upper back. Overworked and torn muscles cause most golf-related injuries. Physically demanding movements require strong muscles. Here are some simple solutions to help you get rid of back pain and enjoy golf wholeheartedly.
Wrapping It Up
If you can play golf correctly, you can easily avoid or treat chronic back pain. Moreover, professional golf players play golf with recurring episodes of back pain. Golf improves the cardiovascular health of individuals. Studies suggest that a golfer can walk up to 3 miles every day while playing golf, consequently improving their health.