Golf is a great activity to be involved in and one many of our patients are active participants in. Golf is a sport which can place quite a lot of stress on the lower back as the swinging motion involves a lot of rotation through your lower back. Even a casual golfer on an 18 hole course will put their body through around 100 high speed extreme ranges of motion in a typical round with strokes as well as practice swings and warm up swings. Considering that, it is no surprise that back pain from golf is so common.
There are a number of things you can do to assist with avoiding back pain from your next game of golf:
1. Keep your body loose and limber whilst you are playing.
While driving a golf cart around a course can be fun and is a very easy way to get around particularly when it’s hot, walking around the course is a lot better for your back than sitting in a cart. Sitting in a cart between shots means your body will stiffen up between shots rather than remaining warmed up and loose by walking the course.
2. The healthier you go into an activity the healthier you will come out.
If you are carrying around extra weight particularly on your abdomen the pressure placed on your spine during the swinging action will be increased. It doesn’t take a small amount of effort to lose weight but it is one of the best ways to be proactive about your health and to have you feeling better.
3. Stretch after you are finished playing.
Warming down properly after a round with around 5 minutes of stretches will help your recovery immensely. So hold off on the temptation to go straight to the 19th hole and enjoy a well-earned beverage and fit in a quick stretching routine after your round.
If you do find yourself in pain after a round of golf get in contact with us here.
