Is Your Golf Swing Giving You Back Pain?
/Everyone has a sport or activity that is enjoyable or helps to relieve stress. A large number of our clients use golf as that activity.
It can become a huge strain if you are unable to do your activity of choice because of an injury or pain. In some instances the activity or sport is what is causing the problem. Some might say to stop running, playing golf, or playing basketball because it is causing your pain. Instead our goal is to look to see what we can do to make changes so you can continue to play.
When it comes to golf there are many mechanics at play which can contribute to your injury. The most common injury we see is low back pain or upper and middle back pain. Not having a proper golf swing can lead to these injuries.
Most problems arise when we don’t have enough strength, stability, or flexibility in an area so other areas have to compensate. Frequently people drop their head and round their upper back during the swing which can cause middle back pain and even hip pain. When our shoulders and upper back are rounded forward it becomes a greater challenge to bring the club back during the backswing. In order to compensate most people drop their forward shoulder and hip to bring the club back. This causes extra strain because our body is in an awkward position and then we put force into it to swing the club.
The other common problem we see is that typically people are twisting through their lower back during the follow through portion of the swing. Of course we want to be looking ahead to see the 250yd drive or the chip that lands 3 feet from the hole, but how we get there may be the problem. Most people have stiff hips and lack strength in the hips and core. If we need to twist in order to hit the ball most people will twist through their lower back which can cause problems especially in the low back.
Without proper strength, stability, and flexibility the possibility of being injured just increases dramatically. This is especially so during a complex activity such as golf. If you are injured the best thing you can do is to get evaluated as soon as possible so you can continue to play and get back on the right track so you can play without any problems.
