Golf and back pain… the two are often thought of together and for good reason. It’s because here are a ton of golfers with back pain, but does this need to be the case?
Let’s examine why many golfers have back pain….
Pretend for a minute the body is a big stack of joints. These joints are either MOBILE or STABLE. You can see in the picture there’s an alternation of responsibility.
Let’s focus on what matters in low back pain…
HIPS: designed to be MOBILE
LUMBAR SPINE: designed to be STABLE
When there isn’t enough MOBILITY in the HIPS the LUMBAR SPINE tries to to make up for the “inflexible” HIPS by becoming more MOBILE. This is where we run into problems. The LUMBAR SPINE moves in ways it shouldn’t and with repetitive use (like a golf swing) the result is often injury. At the same time, the “core muscles” supporting the LUMBAR SPINE can be weak. This further increases the likelihood of the LUMBAR SPINE moving in unsafe ways.
In an ideal world, a golfer would go through a TPI Evaluation to determine their specific needs (Align Fitness offers this service). However, we will go with two exercises that most golfers need to improve HIP MOBILITY and “core stability”. Perform these exercises 3-4 times per week for the best results.
Open Book
Hip Flexor Stretch
Half Kneeling Turn