Golf is a game that relies heavily on muscle memory, which can result in inflammation or injury of the group of muscles repetitively used. Golf players use four swings to achieve their strokes - back swing, down swing, follow through and ball strike.
To achieve these swings the golfer uses the upper back muscles to maintain an erect spine and the Shoulder muscles to generate speed. The lower back muscles and core also help increase the speed of the club as the forearm muscles control the club.
As you can tell, the back muscles are instrumental in a golf game which is why they're especially prone to injury and inflammation.
A keen golfer knows how important it is to maintain the right posture and form during a game - even a warm up game. But what most don't know is that there are tried and tested ways to evaluate their lower back injury if they (unfortunately) suffer one.
These methods can quickly identify what the problem is and formulate a treatment plan that’s not drug related and gets them back on their feet sooner.
Some of the most notable tell-tale signs include spasms in the lower back musculature found in the small of the back. Also, an altered posture that causes your body to incline towards the painless side is noteworthy. - this is usually referred to as antalgic positioning.
And the most obvious sign is always a lack of mobility in the lower back.
But even with back injuries come some good news that should relieve any golfer. One of them is full strength in the lower extremities. Lack of strength in the lower region of your body is often a sign of a more serious injury, and in serious cases it could mean you can't golf any more - so full lower body mobility is a good sign.
The second positive sign is no neurological findings that raise a red flag about the health condition of the brain. And lastly, is the correct alignment of spinal discs - meaning the injury is neither permanent nor needs surgery.
When it comes to injuries in the back region there are several conditions that you could get diagnosed with. The first place doctors start is with the muscles to ascertain whether it is a pulled muscle or an injured ligament. These heal within a month of the injury.
The second place they look is at the disc for any tears or swellings within the discs. You can also suffer from a ruptured disc, wherein the nerves are exposed causing the pain. The third area to look at is in the lower back because poor joint mechanics can result in injury.
Fourth, doctors look at medical conditions like degenerative arthritis and even cancers or diseases affecting the kidneys or liver among other organs. Pain associated with medical conditions can be as a result of inflammation caused by the disease or the illness breaking down the structure of the back muscles, nerves, bone and ligaments.
The fifth place doctors look is at the bones. A bone fracture in the back can be due to stress on the bones. Unfortunately, bone structures occur frequently in athletes and golfers are not exempted from them. The action of a strong swing can place force on the posterior location of the vertebrae and result in a fracture. Unlike the other back pain, fracture related back pain is usually dull which can cause golfers to ignore it until it morphs into a more serious complication.
All the above conditions lead to instability in the spine meaning your back cannot support your weight adequately. For more information on the conditions that cause back pain and how to prevent back injury check out this blog post.
Source: Chiropractic Success Academy