Did you know that low back injuries are the most common of all golfing injuries? Here are our tips to help you take control of your pain. So what causes low back pain in golf and how can we prevent it?
Repetitive strain – ‘300 swings in an average playing day’
Golf falls under repetitive strain injuries because it requires repetition of the same action and body positions to achieve the aim of the activity. In golf it is the swinging of the golf club coupled with the rotation of the spine that causes minor trauma to occur in the low back. Minor trauma is a natural part of muscle growth. However, our spinal muscles are always working to control posture, thus if our mobility is already reduced and muscles are tight when we put repetitive movement demand on them there is potential for these muscles to become overstrained and give rise to low back pain.
Back pain and Golf
Golf is an asymmetrical sport. Although there are different types of shot to be played they load similar muscles in achievement of these movements. To enable you to hit and drive the ball further, do you sacrifice your form?
Each segment of the lower back has on average 1 degree of rotation, which isn’t a lot to use when playing golf. The main muscles a golfer should be recruiting during a golf swing include the abdominals, pectorals, forearms, latissmus dorsi and gluteus maximus. The latissmus dorsi although a muscle of the back due to its insertion its action predominantly effect the arm and will be recruited in your swing. The gluteus maximus will...
What can I do to prevent low back pain?
Giving up golf isn’t the answer we want to hear to achieve prevention, so how can you change your golfing stance, swing or frequency to reduce the likelihood of injury to the low back.
1. Avoid sudden or forceful movements
2. Avoid locking knees on backswing
3. Use the hips, pelvis and mid back for rotation
4. Avoid sudden increase in intensity, frequency or duration
5. Exercise
6. Warm up
7. Get a golf coach
8. Get treatment
Do you feel like your low back pain is hindering playing golf or limiting your performance? Find out how Osteopathy can help.