|
Lower Back Pain and Golf
Dr. Robert Duvall, DPT, ATC, MGFI
Low back pain represents one of the most common and costly diagnoses that
the health profession manages on a continuous basis. It is one of the most
common reasons to visit a physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor.
The costs for evaluating and treating low back pain patients are estimated
to be beyond $50 billion dollars a year in the U.S. Regardless of the costs
from the multiple diagnostic options, physical therapists and other
healthcare practitioners must become more efficient and effective with their
treatment plans. Treatment must be aimed at the individual with the back
problem rather than the back problem itself. It is crucial for the clinician
to include in their clinical assessments to examine the person and their
ability to function, and not just focus on the traditional clinical tests of
impairments such as range of motion and strength tests.
Traditional exercises have been shown to be an effective treatment modality
for patients with low back injury. Multiple studies have examined the
benefits of exercise in treating patients with low back pain; however, there
have been very few published reports describing specific program designs as
it relates to golfers. Golf injuries to the low back are the most common
problems in both the professional and amateur player. It's poor technique
and the repetition of hitting balls that usually leads to an injury. Combine
that with the typical sedentary lifestyle (in which people drive to/from
work in a seated position and work in a seated position for most of the day)
and you begin to understand why there is such a high incidence of back pain
among golfers.
A back injury results from excessive stress placed on the spine, usually
when the body does not perform the correct sequence during the golf swing.
Here is an astonishing fact: Eight times your body weight is forced through
your spine as you make contact with the ball. So if you have poor mechanics
combined with a weak back you are more likely to cause yourself a
significant amount of injury.
To avoid back pain, I recommend you start by visiting a health professional
for a golf-specific training program. A well-trained health professional is
able to identify skeletal and muscle imbalances and give you correct golf
specific exercises to improve your posture and overall conditioning specific
for golf. Correct posture and muscle balance will enable you to get into the
proper positions required to swing the golf club effectively.
The golf swing is considered a very unnatural movement for most people,
especially for people with a sedentary lifestyle. As with most sports, golf
is a sport that requires a lot of rotary movement. When we sit for the most
part of the day, certain muscles get used to that position and become
“tight”, while other muscles get “stretched out”. This leads to significant
muscle imbalances that then put unnecessary stress on the back. In all
likelihood, their golf muscles have “shut down” due to sitting for long
periods. Effectively, the muscles that absorb force and reduce load in a
golf swing (that is, the lower and deep abdominals) are relatively weak and
aren't able to work together. And if your hips and shoulders are tight,
there is a greater chance of moving incorrectly.
The golfer's checklist to ensure a healthy back:
» Visit a physical therapist or chiropractor well versed with golfers for a
golf-specific physical assessment and conditioning program.
» Take a lesson from a PGA professional about basic fundamentals and how the
body should move during the golf swing. Hopefully the PGA instructor uses
video to analyze your swing.
» Practice golf specific drills that teach the correct movements in your
swing, which will decrease the chances of injuring your back.
» Ensure your clubs are fitted properly for you, e.g. are your clubs too
short or long? Are the shafts too flexible or stiff?
» Make sure you do a golf-specific warm-up routine prior to hitting balls or
playing golf.
Article Courtesy of
http://www.LoseTheBackPain.com
Index of Articles
Muscle Fitness Site Map |
Muscle Fitness |
|
