You love to golf, but your back is holding you….back. You’re probably wondering if it’s even possible to have a decent golf swing with a bad back.
When you think of sports that are likely to be risky, golf will rarely ever cross your mind. Nonetheless, orthopedic injuries that result from golf are very common. Statistics show that about 20% of all golfers at one time or another suffer from some sort of injury every year.
Out of the injuries that occur, back pain from golf swing stands out as the most common of all. 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 of techniques that may be used to avoid back pain as you take your golf swing.
Other injuries to either the elbows, the shoulders, or the wrist usually come as compensation to save the back.
The majority of acute lower back injuries occurring during golfing have the tendency to get better over a few days to maybe a week.
The Most Prevalent Golf Injuries
Muscle and Tendon Detachment
Occur generally as a result of excess usage, swing abnormalities, or accidents as you play golf.
Muscle Strains
These are typically associated with forceful or rough golf swings and also sudden shifting during the downswing.
Disc Injuries
They may result from abnormalities in your golf swing. It is usually from aggravation of a previously existing disc lesion.
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. Acetaminophen, when taken together with the two, can help in further reducing lower back pain along with other pains.
Tips on Prevention of Back Pain
Use the Proper Swinging Technique
Musculoskeletal issues are usually the source of back pain among professional golfers. When it comes to amateurs, back pain often results from using the wrong swing technique. 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. Your pelvis should then be thrust towards the target at the end.
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. The straightening of your right knee during the backswing makes the right side of your pelvis move higher compared to the left. This causes the lower vertebrae to tilt to the left, adding stress.
Downswing
Make use of the ground in creating a powerful, while at the same time, safe, swing. While you get started down, you get the feeling of being prepared to leap from the ground through your lower body, making a move as though to squat.
The muscles of the thigh and the butt are ideal sources of power. Consequently, the squat move uses them to promote a leftward lateral motion. When you fail to squat, turning the hips might still be possible, but moving the pelvis sufficiently forward is not possible.
You are only able to get power by torqueing the spine. The torque is increased as the club swings down, ramping up levels of stress and amplifying pain.
Impact
Ninety percent of your body’s weight should, at this instance, be over the left leg. The shoulders and your hips should be turning open and at the same level. If a large amount of the weight is still left on the right side, you have depended on the lumbar spine for your body rotation toward the target.
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.
Finish
Do not attempt to maintain your posture while making a swing through since this puts a tremendous amount of load on the lower back. Thrust the pelvis towards the target instead.
For this, the left muscles of the core and glutes are required to take in the stress. Press forward and get stand; at the finish, you are supposed to be at your natural standing height.
Stress will always exist on the lower back. The mentioned tips will, however, have the load reduced.
Warm Up Before Any Activity
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. Warmup exercises serve to loosen your back and get you prepared for the movements involved in the swing.
Exercise to Build Back Strength
Weak lower back muscles usually lead to strains as a result of the intense pressure applied to the muscles from your golf swings. 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.
It is also critical that you avoid too many repetitive activities and motions.
Conclusion
Generally, it is not recommended for you to continue aggravating muscles that are already inflamed from playing golf while having low back pain. Take some time off to let the muscles heal.
