While many consider golf an easygoing sport that puts little stress on the body, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, golf puts an immense amount of stress on the body, specifically the back… and even more specifically, the lower back. Many golfers experience enough back pain that it forces them to quit playing the game they love–temporarily or even permanently.
Did you do a double-take reading the title of this blog? Probably not if you’re an active golfer.
Fortunately, if you love golf, The Spine Clinic can make every effort to keep you on the links, feeling great and swinging better than ever. Well, you’ll have to practice the last part on your own… but read on to learn more about how we can help, whether you’re seeing our chiropractor, our licensed physical therapist, or our massage therapist.
How Do Golfers Injure Their Backs?
Put quite simply, it’s typically all in the swing. It doesn’t have to be a mechanically flawed swing, either. You can have a beautiful swing, but the repetitive stress on the back can cause injury. When a golfer swings a club, the spine rotates, tilts, and does so with plenty of speed and torque.
As you can imagine, that puts a lot of strain on the back. And the strain comes in a part of the back that isn’t meant to torque and rotate–the mid-spine. And because the mid-spine doesn’t truly rotate in full, the lower back compensates.
Common Golf Back Injuries
These injuries generally involve the discs in the spine, which are rubbery cushions that rest between each vertebrae to provide protection. If the disc’s gel-like inside manages to poke through its outer lining, that gel can wind up on a nerve and cause intense pain, which is called disc herniation. In some cases, the discs can become inflamed or even degenerate with time, requiring more serious treatment than simply rest or ice and heat. That’s why so many professional golfers wind up undergoing disc replacement or fusion surgery. Fortunately, most back injuries for leisurely golfers aren’t that serious.
The repetition of a golf swing is certainly enough to cause injury, but that’s not the only way a golfer can injure his or her back. You might laugh, but golfers who carry their own bags are susceptible to injury.
If you don’t believe it, try carrying a large bag full of golf clubs and other equipment for nine or 18 holes (like the pros do)… they can weigh from 20 to 30 pounds or even more, and all of that weight while carrying the bag winds up…you guessed it…on the lower back. Back injuries from the weight of a golf bag happen more often than you might think.
Back Pain Treatment for Golf
Treatment for your golf-related back pain will depend on the severity of the injury. You might require some type of diagnostic exam, such as an MRI, ultrasound, or CT scan, to determine what type of back injury you have. No matter what, The Spine Center in Lake Worth is here to help. Less serious back injuries can be treated by our chiropractor through effective and safe chiropractic care and spinal manipulation, while our licensed massage therapist can provide deep massage therapy to ease your back pain.
Additionally, The Spine Clinic offers ultrasound therapy, electric muscle stimulation, exercise therapy, and plenty of other options to fit your injury and recovery plan. During your initial consultation, you’ll have an in-depth discussion with the chiropractor, who will then conduct a structural analysis and an examination specific to your injury. If you require X-rays, we can handle those right in the clinic for your convenience. From there, we’ll get started with your treatment!
Our goal at The Spine Clinic in Lake Worth is to get your back feeling great again, so you can live your life without pain or limitations. Call us today at (561) 963-6227 to set up your first appointment.
