Stop Back Pain After A Round Of Golf

For a lot of our patients, playing a round is a great way to relax, socialize and have fun. It’s also an enjoyable way to stay fit and healthy.

However, if lower back pain stops you playing as often as you’d like, or leaves you in agony for days afterwards, it can be really frustrating.

In this blog, you will discover how to stop lower back pain after golf without having to rely on painkillers, back braces, injections or surgery.

Can Golf Cause Lower Back Pain?

Golf can cause lower back pain for a number of reasons, and can either be the entire cause of the problem, or a contributing factor alongside other aspects of your life (such as a poor sleeping position, bad posture or an injury).

One way that playing golf can cause lower back pain is due to the rotational movement of a golf swing. In our normal day to day life, we don’t typically rotate in this way often and as a result, muscles that are involved in this movement can often be weak and more vulnerable to injury.

Another way that golf can cause lower back pain is due to the explosive nature of a golf swing and this can be something that your body isn’t used to.

Golf can also cause lower back pain through the length of exercise during a round of golf. This is a particularly common problem for people who live a relatively inactive lifestyle, or don’t play golf very often.

Is It Okay To Play Golf With Lower Back Pain?

If you are experiencing lower back pain during golf, our recommendation would be to minimize the activity until you’ve consulted a professional.

Lower back pain can be a very complex problem and we speak to patients regularly who are worried about the risk of things getting worse. A common fear of people in later life is becoming reliant on painkillers, getting injections, or having to undergo a dangerous surgery and getting treatment early can ensure that you avoid this.

One risk of playing golf with lower back pain is that you could aggravate the problem, either creating more discomfort, making the lower back pain last longer or a combination of both.

In our experience, it is best to get a diagnosis and treatment (if needed) for lower back pain before playing golf.

Should I Worry About Lower Back Pain After Golf?

If you are suffering with lower back pain after golf, you might be worrying about whether it’s something serious.

If you are, the best thing you can do is to arrange a free consultation with our team who can help to give you a better understanding about what is going on and how you can get back on the golf course fast!

As a general rule, lower back pain during golf, and the day of playing golf, this may not be a big issue.

It may be due to a small error in your technique which has caused a minor muscle strain, or you’ve just taken on a little bit too much, too soon.

However, if lower back pain lingers for days or even weeks, further investigation is recommended because it is likely that there is a more significant problem which is causing the pain to persist.

Lower back pain that’s lasted several days is also very unlikely to go away on its own for the long term if left untreated.

How To Stop Lower Back Pain During Golf Without Painkillers

There are some simple, yet effective ways to stop lower back pain during golf which can reduce or eliminate your discomfort altogether.

1. A warm-up can reduce your risk of lower back pain by loosening your muscles and increasing the range of motion in your joints.
2. Swing your club without trying to hit the ball as hard as you can. By doing this, you can keep a controlled technique which minimizes the chance of pushing your lower back beyond its limits.
3. Improve your core strength which will enable you to hit the ball further whilst maintaining a safe posture and technique.
4. Gradually increase the amount of golf you play – If you took the winter off from golf or you are recovering from a golf injury, build up your capacity on the driving range rather than jumping straight into 18 holes on your first round.
   

Natural Ways To Stop Lower Back Pain After Golf

Our physical therapy team offers natural pain relief solutions for lower back pain. However, there are also some easy ways that you can stop lower back pain after golf at home.

We recommend using ice and heat as a natural solution to reduce swelling, and ease lower back pain. Our team recommends 20 minutes of heat or ice at a time, before allowing the area to return to normal temperature. At this point, you can treat the lower back with the alternative for the same amount of time (heat if you used ice the first time, or vice versa).

Another important thing to do if you have lower back pain after golf is to ensure that you are sleeping in the best position – certain sleeping positions can make lower back pain much worse.  

The Fastest Way To Stop Lower Back Pain After Golf

In a blog, we aren’t able to tell you exactly how to stop lower back pain after golf because there are lots of things that impact your lower back.

You may have existing conditions which also need to be treated so that you can enjoy a round of golf without stiffness or discomfort. Also, there may be an underlying problem that hasn’t been diagnosed previously and this could be the reason your lower back pain keeps coming back (and getting worse).

At Functional Advantage we offer free physical therapy consultations, where you can speak to a physical therapist, ask any questions that you have, and find out what’s stopping you from playing pain-free golf as often as you’d like.

We can also help you understand how to strengthen your posture and core which will increase your golf performance (and help reduce that handicap!)

Arrange your free physical therapy consultation on our website, or if you prefer to talk over the phone, you can call us at 989-573-8588.

Here is what one of our most recent golfers had to say about his experience at Functional Advantage: 

“I had a cracking in my lower back, it got to about a 8 or 9 level in pain before I came in. I couldn’t golf more than 18 holes, after PT I know I can be back to golfing 36 holes. I can fully swing and rotate my hips without worrying about the follow-through rotation, which is huge!”

-Hugh S. 40’s from Bay City