“Don’t think I’ll make golf This Week – My back is killing me”!
“Don’t think I’ll make golf This Week – My back is killing me”!There is probably nothing more frustrating for a golfer than not being able to play because of lower back pain. It’s a fact that many professionals from Jack Nicklaus through to Tiger Woods,Vijay Singh, John Daly, Mark Calcavecchia, Jose Maria Olazabal, Louis Oosthuizen, and many more have all undergone back pain therapy for various conditions of back pain. If these golfers, all with excellent technique can experience lower back pain, then recreational golfers are hardly likely to be immune.
However it is likely that the weekend golfers develop low back pain as a result of poor technique, low general fitness level, and sporadic or infrequent play. With the professionals, lower back pain or sciatic conditions are likely to be developed through constant use of the low back.
Most amateur golfers will suffer lower back pain or back ache at some time due to playing. Often this may be a one off with a poor swing causing muscle strain leading to a painful back for a day or two. The danger is though that back pain becomes routine and may ultimately get so severe that the golfer simply gives up the game for good. Although there are many golfers who suffered back problems prior to playing golf, there is apparent evidence that golf is often a contributory factor to back pain or sciatic conditions, particularly to those players who may not pay sufficient attention to golf exercises, or carrying out a golf workout, and physically conditioning their bodies for the course.
Ref HORTON, J. F., D. M. LINDSAY, and B. R. MACINTOSH. Abdominal muscle activation of elite male golfers with chronic low back pain. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 33, No. 10, 2001, pp. 1647-1654.
So what causes back pain?
Back pain is a common (not just in golfers!), painful, and often debilitating condition. However it is fortunately not usually due to a serious underlying cause. It however important to seek medical advice and obtain a diagnosis of your condition.
Low back pain, or Sciatica as it sometimes collectively known, is frequently related to the interaction of the intricate structures which form the back. This type of back pain is often referred to as mechanical or musculoskeletal back pain.(see below).
Structure of the back
The spine is composed of 33 bones (vertebrae) which form a column to protect the spinal cord. Between each vertebrae are numerous joints which allow movement of the spine.
From the spinal cord, nerves arise which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to other parts of the body.
Between each of the first 24 vertebrae there is a disc (intervertebral disc) which acts as a shock absorber to cushion the spine and allow it to bend.
There are many muscles bordering the spine which facilitate movements of the spine and back.
The spine is also composed of numerous ligaments and tendons which connect the vertebrae, discs and muscles together.
Musculoskeletal back pain
Lower Back pain can occur because of damage, tension or inflammation in any part of its complex structure. The lower part of the back, known as the lumbar region or lumbar spine, is a common site of back pain because it is under constant pressure from supporting all of the body weight lying above it and it is further prone to damage whilst lifting heavy objects or making twisting movements.
This applies any physical activity, on or off the golf course
Research has indicated that this type of back pain may be partly due to genetics (i.e a tendency to develop back pain can be inherited from our parents) however it is commonly triggered or made worse by the following factors on or off the golf course:-
- Poor posture eg slouching
- Initially this could cause stiffness in the facet joints of the lumbar region (These are the ‘flat’ plate like joints connecting the vertebrae.), with the surrounding muscles, overworking to stabilise this becoming irritated and immflamed therby causing pain. Over time you may also be causing your vertebrae to put uneven pressure on the discs in between possibly leading to a bulging disc or herniated disc, again causing long term pain and discomfort.
- Lifting heavy objects
- The same applies here. Putting unbalanced loads on the spine can lead to problems, either as an acute (short term) maybe leading to chronic(long term) conditions. We all know the rules around the workplace. “keep the back and hips straight, bend the knees” etc , but do we apply that common sense on the golf course? Use proper back mechanics when lifting your bag or consider investing in a decent trolley. Bend through your knees (squat) when retrieving your ball rather than though your lower back
- Standing for long periods
- Again you’re causing downward pressure on the joints of the lower back. It may be useful to do occasional stretches, or try to move around if you can, or sit down at opportune moments
- Driving for long periods
- What’s happening here is not dissimilar to posture related conditions as above. We tend to adopt a slouch behind the wheel and our spines are not in a natural ‘at rest ‘ position but instead are being subjected to constricted movement and contortion, again causing uneven pressures in the vertebral joints, leading to back ache after long periods of driving.
- Twisting or bending awkwardly
- Your golf swing is such an unnatural and stressful movement, especially for those of you employed in sedentary occupations..
How to use LumbaCurve for low back pain relief
