For golf lovers, playing a round is a great way to relax, socialise 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 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).
A way that 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 sheer duration of exercise during a round of golf. This is a particularly common problem for people who live a relatively sedentary 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 minimise the activity until you’ve received treatment.
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, and being unable to walk without the use of a walking stick 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 physiotherapy consultation with our team who can help to clear up your confusion and help you understand 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.
- A warm-up can reduce your risk of lower back pain by loosening your muscles and increasing the range of motion in your joints.
- Swing your club without trying to hit the ball as hard as you can. By doing this, you can keep a controlled technique which minimises the chance of pushing your lower back beyond its limits.
- Improve your core strength which will enable you to hit the ball further whilst maintaining a safe posture and technique.
- Gradually increase the amount of golf you play – If you’ve taken a few months away from the golf course 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
From speaking to hundreds of patients across the North East of England, we know that one of the most common frustrations is that they don’t feel listened to when they speak to the GP, and that they are told to take medication without exploring natural, drug-free pain relief.
Our physiotherapy team have a variety of natural pain relief solutions for lower back pain, ranging from massage, exercises, and acupuncture. However, there are also some easy ways that you can stop lower back pain after golf at home.
We recommend using ice and heat therapy as a natural solution to reduce swelling, and ease lower back pain. Our physiotherapy team recommend 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, so check out our blog How To Stop Back Pain At Night And Get Better Sleep so you can give yourself the best chance to recover with a good nights’ sleep.
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 Paul Gough Physio Rooms, we have four North East clinics (Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool) and we offer free physiotherapy consultations, where you can speak to a member of our team, 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 physiotherapy consultations with our simple webform, or if you prefer to talk over the telephone, you can call us on 01429 866 771.
Other Free Resources To Help Elderly People Keep Active
Click Here To Read – Wrist Injuries In Golf – How To Get Back On The Golf Course Fast
Click Here To Read – How To Avoid Lower Back Pain – 9 Tips To Help You Live With Freedom
Click Here To Read – Benefits Of Exercise For Elderly People Who Want To Keep Active
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You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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