Canadian golfers, who wait all winter for the appearance of green grass, have been enjoying their favourite pastime for several months now.
Some golfers, however, will have the misfortune of going overboard and will experience an injury due to golf.
The most common injury reported by golfers, by both new and seasoned veterans, is low back pain (up to 36 per cent of all reported injuries).
One thing is for sure, golfers love to golf, and most will compensate for an injury such as back pain, by changing the mechanics of the swing.
The mechanics of the golf swing that relate to back pain include the back swing, down swing, point of impact and the follow through. In other words, you can’t swing a golf club properly without some movement in the back occurring.
The twisting of the torso that occurs during the golf swing, especially at the top of the back swing and again at the very end of the follow through, are the most likely culprits when it comes to back pain.
In addition, biomechanical studies have shown compressive loads on the spine can be up to eight times the normal body weight, similar to loads experienced by NCAA football linemen during tackling drills, during a typical tee shot.
If one thinks about swing mechanics in professional golfers, one can see a large amount of twisting during the swing and unfortunately most weekend warriors will then think large rotational swings are more beneficial. Not true.
In fact, professional golfers also report a high level of back pain injuries. Perhaps over-rotation of the lower back region is the main cause of golfer’s back pain?
For amateurs and pros alike, an appreciation of just how much rotation may be occurring in the lower back during the swing may be useful in preventing back pain.
Try the following test: Place one thumb on the lowest rib that can be felt before the soft tissue of the abdomen, and then place the index finger on the bony protrusion just below (called the anterior superior iliac spine).
Next, do the same procedure with the other hand. Once in place, take up the typical golf stance and mimic a swing. Note how the thumb and index finger spread apart as rotation increases. This will show how much rotation is going through the lower back.
For example, a right-handed golfer may feel the left thumb and index finger spread apart while the right moves closer together. That would suggest a significant amount of rotation in the upper and mid back compared to the lower back.
Adding a large amount of compressive force to the lumbar spine either at the start of the downswing, and a recipe for back pain has been created.
To limit upper and mid back rotation, resulting in less twisting and compression of the low back, try using the hips.
There are a handful of clinical case studies that suggest the hips are inherently linked to back pain. Revisiting the rotation test will show how much lower back rotation can be removed by simply using the hips. Instead of twisting through the mid back, try first to tip the pelvis forward and rotate the buttocks around.
The hips will only allow for so much rotation, but in most cases this should be enough to reduce the twisting and subsequent compression in the lower back. It is possible to have tight hips as well. If this is the case, then hip stretching/warm-up activity may help prior to the first tee.
So before taking a deep breath to hit that first glorious tee shot, be kind to the spine and learn how to effectively use the hips. Enjoy swinging this summer.
This column was submitted by Dr. Steven Piper, D.C. at Optimum Integrative Health Centre in Fergus.
