why does golf hurt my lower back

How do I prevent lower back pain when golfing?

Why does my lower back hurt after playing golf?

How do you get rid of back pain from golf?

Is lower back pain common in golf?

How do you strengthen your lower back for golf?

Can golf damage your back?

Why am I so sore after playing golf?

What muscles should be sore after golf?

Is golf swing dangerous?

The golf swing can be dangerous if you’re not properly trained. Poor swing mechanics combined with rotational forces can cause significant damage to your spine. There’s a real, inherent risk to the lumbar spine (lower back) and thoracic spine (upper back).

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 muscles are used in golf swings?

Our abdominal muscles play a significant role in preventing back injuries. When the core is weak, it increases the strain on the joints within the lower back during the rotational movements of a golf swing.

What happens when your core is weak?

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, not only do you risk injuries, but your inconsistent contact during your golf swing will often result in ...

Why is it important to be trained to handle 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.

What happened to Tiger Woods in 2013?

After hitting his second shot on the 13th hole during the final round, he fell to the ground in pain, later citing back spasms as the cause of the issue.

Why do golfers have low back pain?

Two Reasons for Low Back Pain in Golfers 1 The first culprit is limited hip mobility, especially hip internal rotation.#N#Internal hip rotation involves a rotation of the head of the femur (thigh bone) into the hip socket. On the backswing of a right handed golfer, the right hip will travel into internal rotation, and then on the follow-through, the left hip will travel into internal rotation. If your hips are stiff into internal rotation, it can then cause strain up into the low back as the body attempts to compensate for this lack of mobility. 2 Another common cause of low back pain is poor trunk control and core weakness.#N#Core weakness results in increased strain into the joints within the low back during rotational movements associated with the golf swing. Core weakness can also result in deficits maintaining good posture throughout the golf swing. Inconsistent contact and poorly struck golf shots is usually the result.

What is the result of core weakness in golf?

Core weakness results in increased strain into the joints within the low back during rotational movements associated with the golf swing. Core weakness can also result in deficits maintaining good posture throughout the golf swing. Inconsistent contact and poorly struck golf shots is usually the result.

What is internal rotation?

Internal hip rotation involves a rotation of the head of the femur (thigh bone) into the hip socket. On the backswing of a right handed golfer, the right hip will travel into internal rotation, and then on the follow-through, the left hip will travel into internal rotation. If your hips are stiff into internal rotation, it can then cause strain up into the low back as the body attempts to compensate for this lack of mobility.

How to get rid of a swollen knee?

Lay on your back with both knees bent. Spread your feet about shoulder width apart and then let one knee fall toward the opposite foot. Repeat on each side and make sure to not push into any pinching type of pain. Windshield wiper start. Windshield wiper finish.

How to improve hip internal rotation?

Stand with both hands against the wall and your feet about 1-2 feet from the wall. Keep your left foot planted and facing the wall, and then take your right leg, leading with your knee, and bring it up toward your left hand that is on the wall. This will help improve left hip internal rotation range of motion.

How to bridge your back?

Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Then contract your core muscles and bring your bottom off the ground until you are in a full bridge position. Pause at the top briefly and then slowly lower back to the start position.

What is Athletico blog?

Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience.

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

How to prevent back injury when playing golf?

Preventing Back Injuries from Golf 1 Warm up with smooth, easy swings prior to getting out on the course 2 Learn proper form and posture for playing golf, including a smooth, rhythmic swing in good balance 3 Choose a golf bag with a built in stand to avoid having to lift it, and dual straps to avoid carrying an uneven load 4 When picking up the golf ball, bend at the knees or get a device for your putter that allows for the ball to be retrieved from the hole without bending over

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.

What is the best hole in golf?

Remember, the best hole is the 19th hole. And if you’re in pain on the 19th hole, that’s never any way to finish your round. Get out there, have fun, enjoy the sun. And keep back pain away from your golf game.

What muscles are weak in the hip?

This can be a weakness of the hip muscles, possibly the hip flexors, hip abductors or the glutes. Additional weakness can be found in your abdominal muscles. We are talking primarily in your deeper abdominal muscles which are the transverse abdominis and our multifidus . These are actually the stabilizers of our spine.

Who is Oscar Andalon?

Dr. Oscar Andalon is a leading and trusted sports physical therapist, strength coach, performance enhancement specialist, educator, author, and Co-Founder of LEVEL4 PT & Wellness – an Encinitas integrated wellness center for people in their 40’s, 50’s and beyond, who value their health and want to restore or maximize their active and healthy lifestyle.

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 ...

How to get back to golf at 7 a.m.?

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 and easy swings—is critical for the muscles to get ready for the game.

What are the four areas of prevention for golf?

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

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 balance golf?

Good balance while golfing is achieved by slightly bending the knees and keeping the feet approximately shoulder-width apart. The spine should be straight, and the golfer should bend forward from the hips. Weight should be distributed evenly on the balls of the feet.

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.

Do golfers have back pain?

The problem is that different golfers have different bodies, and they need to swing accordingly. Otherwise, they’re likely going to experience pain, and most likely back pain, which has woven itself into the fabric of discussions in country club locker rooms worldwide.

Why does my back hurt?

Why Your Back Hurts. Some of the physical causes of back pain come from mobility and stability issues in the ne ck, shoulder, mid back, hips, ankles, and believe it or not, your wrists.

Why does my lower back bend?

This straightening of your lower back region can be the result of normal anatomy, postural changes, muscular imbalances or the inability to control movement in your pelvis.

Who is Tom Stickney II?

Tom Stickney II. GolfWRX.com welcomes back instructional writer Tom Stickney , whose articles here have garnered over 15 million views. Tom has written from GolfWRX for almost five years with articles that feature technology for the average player using a TrackMan focus on all parts of the game.

What is the right hand golfer?

As a right-handed golfer takes the club into their backswing, they are turning right. This is opposite-from-normal movement for our mid back, which if not monitored overtime, can become very unhealthy. The spine has two natural curvatures, lordosis (neck and low back) and kyphosis (mid back).

How does golf swing work?

Our body and golf swing works in alternating patterns of mobility and stability. You have mobile joints connected by stable segments, and if this pattern is altered, dysfunction and compensation will occur. Some common examples: if your trail hip does not internally rotate, your trail shoulder does not externally rotate or your trunk does not turn ...

What are the three planes of motion?

We have three planes of motion in our body: linear, forward and back, and rotational. Any lack of motion in one plane can lead to a compensation in another. A lack of rotation in our golf swing will cause us to move in a linear direction. These linear faults commonly are sways, slides, early extension, and reverse spine.