The Masters is starting on April 7th. I thought it would be fitting to talk about how to prevent back pain when golfing. In Arizona, you’ll see a golf course almost on every block. Golfing in Arizona is a big deal and how could you not take up this sport with such wonderful weather 24/7. However, with the increased amount of times, you may be hitting the links, the more likely you are to strain or injure yourself. In this article, you will learn ways to prevent back pain when golfing.
Ways to prevent back pain when golfing:
Warm-up
Many golf early in the morning to beat the Arizona heat. Pulling right up to the first tee and hitting a club is a sure way of straining your back and causing you pain. Before your tee time if you come 10 -15 minutes early try hitting a few balls on the range.
Watch this video for some pre golf stretches from a physical therapist.
Start slowly and then once you feel warmed up you can speed up your swing to get yourself ready. You don’t want to tire yourself too much when you feel a nice sweat and are warmed up is when you should stop until your tee time. You can start with your irons and wedges and then move to the driver lastly to prepare your body for the torque and force. If you do not have time to go to the range and have to go start to the tee box try taking a few practice swings before hitting.
For your warm-up, you can also do some stretches to help stretch out your hips and back before playing and jumping jacks to increase your blood flow.
Improve Your Golf Swing
Many times you may be experiencing back pain or any pain due to the fact that your swing may be slightly off causing tightness in your back. If you are using your back too much or little, that can be causing some uncomfortable pain when you’re playing.
To reduce injury you can reduce the strain on your spine by keeping it upright. You can do this by standing closer to the ball which will reduce the bend of your spine. Keeping your knees slightly bent can help the golf club to hit the ball without causing your lower back to bend too much.
Uncomfortable pain can even come from the fact that your hips or back aren’t strong enough to have a proper swing form. A way to deter this would be to start to work out to incorporate it into your life. Once you start to get stronger your swing may also be stronger. If you need help with increasing your strength then physical therapy would be helpful to you.
Developing an easy fluid swing can help to limit the forces on your back and hips, preventing any pain or long-term problems in the future.
Carrying A Golf Bag
Golf bags can weigh anywhere from 25 to 30 pounds and a professional bag can weigh up to 50 pounds. Many golfers love to carry their bags for an extra workout on the course. Making sure you are carrying your bag correctly and drinking enough water in the summer is highly imperative to a successful day on the course.
You can do this by making sure to lift with your knees instead of your back and limit the number of times you need to pick up your bag. Also using both straps can help to even out the weight across your back. Make sure you only have what you need in your bag to lower the weight you are carrying.
If necessary you can always use a cart as well if you are not physically ready to carry a golf bag when golfing, especially in the Arizona heat.
After Golf Cool Down
Cooling down is always important when doing any form of physical exercise. Some things you can do to cool down is go for a brisk walk to help lower your body temperature and heart rate. Doing some stretches for your back, hamstrings, and pelvis or yoga poses can help increase the likelihood of your muscles not cramping afterward.
Make sure to energize yourself with some water or electrolytes and a light snack or meal.
Read this blog to learn more about muscle recovery.
Preferred Physical Therapy For Back Pain
Preferred Physical Therapy is a clinic in Glendale, Arizona that specializes in helping people 40 and above stay active and independent, live free from pain killers and avoid surgery, even if they have had pain for years. We value getting to the root cause of our patient’s problems and spending one-on-one time with them to ensure they get the care they need.
Our patients receive exercises designed to help just their problems and are treated as an individual instead of a number. Depending on what the physical therapist sees fit you will be given an action plan that determines how long you may need physical therapy at that time. If you’ve been struggling with any pain and want to get back to the golf course give us a call at 623-486-3333 to learn how we can help you today.
Dr, Nick’s greatest passion is seeing his patients recover from injury and return to their activities that bring them joy.
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