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Tips to Avoid Back Pain from Golfing

Tips to Avoid Back Pain from Golfing

Author

Dr. Fayaz

Category

Uncategorized

Houston is filled with some great golf courses which means we also see more patients with back pain caused by golfing. One of the most common complaints and injuries experienced by both amateur and professional golfers is lower back pain. The repetitive motion of swinging the club requires your spine to twist and bend in a way that can cause stress which leads to back pain.

Here are several things you can do to avoid back pain caused by golfing.

  1. Strengthen your abdominal muscles – Your abdominal muscles support your back. A strong core will provide better support for your golf swing and result in less pain from repeated swinging.
  2. Stretch – Performing stretches both before and after your round of golf or your driving range session can help you avoid back injuries. it can also improve your range of motion and that’s good for your golf swing! Here are a few you can use:
    • Hold a golf club behind the neck and shoulders and then rotating the torso carefully and smoothly to stretch shoulders and the torso.
    • The hips may be stretched by pulling your knee to the chest.
    • Bend over and touch your toes (or get as close as you can) to stretch your hamstrings (back of the upper leg).
  3. Perform balance exercises – Not only does good balance improve your swing, it means that you will be less likely to strain muscles such as your back or shoulders. Learn more about balance exercises recommended by golf and exercise experts in this video.
  4. Invest in proper technique – Especially if you’re new to golfing, a lesson or two would allow you to learn about proper golf swing techniques. This will help you avoid developing back pain from your new sport. If you’ve been golfing a while and have back pain after playing, a lesson from a golf pro can help you tweak your swing in a way that can help you avoid back strain and reduce back pain.
  5. Don’t carry your golf bag – The exercise from walking the course is great. But carrying your clubs on your shoulder can cause neck strain and back strain. Try using a pull cart instead of carrying your clubs on the course.

If you have back pain after golf, try icing it for approximately 15 minutes every hour to reduce any inflammation for the first day after the pain starts. If you have consistent pain it may be time to schedule an appointment with a back specialist who can help you determine the cause of the pain and help you find the right solution so you can get back to your golf game.