Golf season is upon us and in full swing (pun intended). Is golf affecting your back? Or maybe I should ask, is your back affecting your golf swing? With this talk you may now be wondering what golf and chiropractic care have in common? We’ll discuss further in this article!

The golf swing is one of the most un-natural movements for the human body. To swing correctly you have to separate your hips and shoulders during the backswing. At the end of the swing, you are in a position of lumbar hyperextension. By contracting your abdominal muscles during the follow-up phase and rotating your trunk with feet planted in one place, the discs in your back become highly stressed.

Back injuries in golfers are common because of the increased pressure on the spine. The pressure is enough to cause serious injury especially in older adults wince spinal mobility can become an issue with age. A common golf injury is low back pain that comes on suddenly while playing, or pain that creeps up over time that can last from 2-4 weeks.

With younger golfers, more commonly we see injuries like muscle tears. Treatment for this type of injury is rest, core muscle strengthening, and correcting the biomechanics of the swing and your body that caused the injury in the first place.

Even though the sport of golf looks to be non-strenuous, the 26 million golfers out there can account for how grueling the game can be. To avoid back pain and injury here are a few pointers:

• Always warm-up before you play.
• Make sure your clubs are the proper fit for your body and style of play.
• Try to play regularly to prevent the muscles from becoming de-conditioned.
• On the other hand, don’t overplay. Make sure you get enough rest when sore.
• A longer putter will lead to less spinal stress.
• Losing weight will also help decrease the pressure on your spine.

Let me help you have the best golf season you ever had! Come in for an evaluation of your biomechanics and help you prevent injuries and add some yards to your drive! Chiropractic can keep you feeling good, mobile, and flexible!

Get Involved

How often to you play golf? Do you experience back pain after playing? Leave comments below!