Why Do I Have Low Back Pain When I Golf? Can Physical Therapy Help?

This is for all of the great fathers out there for Father's Day, who are probably on the golf course right now, and who will make it home in time to watch the end of the U.S. Open!  Are you noticing that your golf scores are higher lately?  Are you starting to get low back pain (LBP) when golfing?  Have trouble beating your friends on the gold course now because of LBP?  Well, this is the blog post for you regarding golf and low back pain!  Do you know that common site of injury among professional and amateur golfers is the low back. Low back pain (LBP) is the most common injury and makes up roughly 25-50% of golf injuries.

Many of you are probably on the golf course right now with your friends, but what do we know about golfers with low back pain? Research shows that golfers with LBP have poor neuromuscular control to rotate at increased speeds. This is essential to a complex and powerful movement such as the golf swing. This is why after experiencing LBP it is essential to start physical therapy to retrain this neuromuscular control associated with the golf swing and to make sure your LBP does not return.  Not only is it about the low back when talking about golf and LBP, but what occurs at the hips and pelvis is also relevant.  Research has shown the low handicap golfers have increased pelvis rotation speed, increased hip muscle strength than high handicap golfers!  Both of these factors can be addressed with physical therapy.

The modern swing (vs the classical golf swing) is more popular with most golfers due to its increased power and distance produced. Increasing the hip to shoulder ratio with the modern swing can be problematic due to the increased stress placed on the low back, which may also predispose you to LBP. Also, the increase lateral bending and "reverse C posture" with your follow-through, as shown in the picture below, may also cause you to have LBP. 

These are factors all can be identified, treated, and be prevented from causing you to have LBP when playing golf.  Golfers with LBP have been shown to have decreased trunk and hip range of motion (ROM). What do you think happens when you perform a golf swing but you don't have enough ROM? The body will compensate at another joint causing increased and unwanted stress/load to the adjacent joint, predisposing it to injury.  For example, look at the importance of lead hip internal rotation needed for your follow through in this picture below. This could be one of many factors that is causing your LBP.

Many golfers suffer from LBP and this is something that physical therapy can help with.  Doing something as simple as warming up for 10 minutes prior to golfing can decrease your chance of injury by 50%!  Don't settle for having LBP ruin for golfing scores and the time you should be enjoying.  Call Pursuit Physical Therapy today at 407-494-8835 and be seen by our Titleist Performance Institute Certified clinician now!  We can help treat your LBP, address any biomechanical impairments that are influencing your pain, and get you back to pain free golfing! 

Visit our website at www.PursuitTherapy.com and even see what our golf specialty program has to offer.