Are you a golfer who has, or who has had, low-back pain and just chalked it up as a normal consequence of being an avid golfer? Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not normal, and there are reasons for and solutions to your pain.
A golfer with sound technique, proper core stability, muscular balance and good awareness of how to perform basic activities of daily living rarely will succumb to the effects of low-back pain. So let’s discuss what causes low-back pain in the golfer and how to combat this golfing epidemic.
The main cause of golfers’ low-back pain is a combination of poor swing technique, weak core stability and muscular imbalance.

Swing faults
The swing begins at set-up, and this is where we see our first fault: the “S” posture.
Many golfers have mistakenly been told to stick their butt out, and they do this by excessively arching their back. This posture causes the abdominals and glutes to become inactive throughout the swing. These muscles are core stabilizers and power producers.
S-posture golfers also place increased stress on the low back at the top of their backswing.
In the backswing, many golfers try to falsely increase their coil by tilting their trunk toward the target at the top.
This reverse spine angle causes over-activation of the lumbar erector spinae muscles and places excessive compressive loads on the vertebra. Right-handed golfers often complain of left-sided low back pain, and vice versa.
In the downswing, many golfers early extend, making excessive lower-body movement toward the ball instead of toward the target. Besides loss of power, this also causes increased lumbar spine arching and abdominal inhibition.
In the follow-through, the reverse C position used to be accepted but now is frowned upon. For right-handed golfers, this position places considerable compressive force on the lower right side of the lumbar spine.
A complete back-pain examination should include an in-depth look at a golfer’s swing on video. A doctor who specializes in treating golfers can address physical limitations that may be causing the above-mentioned swing faults.
If the swing fault is determined to be technique error, golfers should be referred to a teaching professional.

Physical faults
The main physical cause of low-back pain is the lack of optimal core stability and the presence of muscular imbalances.
Not only does your core produce swing power, it also provides the much-needed protection for your spine during the swing.
I liken your core to a can of tennis balls. Your core is the container that supports the tennis balls (your spine).
If you remove the container, the balls become unstable, but with the container, they are a stable unit.
Your spine should be protected like the tennis balls, from all sides; in the front by your abdominal muscles; in the back by your low-back erectors; and on your sides by abdominal obliques and quadratus lomborum.
The main cause of weakness in your core is a sedentary lifestyle, which produces muscular imbalances. This imbalance leads to decreased function of your core muscles and doesn’t protect your spine from everyday stresses.
To determine if you lack the proper core stability or muscular balance necessary to play pain-free golf, contact a doctor or fitness specialist who treats golfers for a series of functional tests specific to this issue.
By adding chiropractic adjustments that address joint restrictions and spinal/pelvic alignment, plus manual therapy to muscle, tendon and ligament dysfunctions, you have addressed the majority of injury causative factors.

Getting better
If you are suffering from low-back pain that you feel is from golf, or is affecting your golf, there are conservative treatment options. I suggest a four-pronged approach to treating and subsequently preventing recurrence of back pain.
The most comprehensive approach will include swing evaluation, corrective exercises/stretches, chiropractic care, and manual therapy.
Don’t let low-back pain fester. Consult a golf professional, golf-specific doctor and/or golf-specific fitness trainer to treat your pain, and build both your core stability and golf swing.

Dr. Kevin Christie, D.C., CSCS, is a chiropractic physician with a private practice in Plantation and Boca Raton. He is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute as a Medical Provider Level 3 and is the chiropractic specialist for the South Florida division of Back9 Fitness, a company that travels the PGA Tour treating professionals. Write to him at drkchristie@gmail.com or call (954) 856-1399.

Author: By Kevin Christie

Received: 2010-03-05 [y/m/d]

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