Golf with lower back pain

[Bunkermagnet]

I suffer with lower back pain, and now I see a sports phsyio who gives me a deep tissue massage on the knotted muscles causing the pain. He has also given me stretching excersizes to do each night (which I do when I get in bed) and most of the time I can play golf. If carry is in place, then it's 5 or 6 clubs max, and I wear my back brace to support it.
This is how I deal with mine.

 

[Big85]

Spoken to? or seen?

I have a couple of friends that have used them and swear by them. But it does seem like that’s minimum treatment plan

 

[Whereditgo]

I have a couple of friends that have used them and swear by them. But it does seem like that’s minimum treatment plan

So with no diagnosis whatsoever they are saying 6 treatments should sort it out?.......oh, and that will be 400 of your (hopefully not) hard earned drinking/golf toy vouchers!

 

[Big85]

So with no diagnosis whatsoever they are saying 6 treatments should sort it out?.......oh, and that will be 400 of your (hopefully not) hard earned drinking/golf toy vouchers!

Well 6 minimum! I’ll book in with my regular sports massage and hopefully they can sort it

 

[road2ruin]

I suffer from lower back pain due to degenerated discs and a tear in the L5 vertebra. The first thing that has really helped over the last couple of years is increasing core strength and I have found Pilates a really good first step. Initially I was seeing my back guy once every 3-4 weeks to help manage the pain however within a month of doing Pilates I am now seeing him every 8 weeks or so. I still have the odd flare up that will put me in on my arse for a day or so however they’re far less frequent than they used to be. I also do a set of 15-20 minute exercise 4 times a week that also help build up my core strength.

The one word of warning I would say about an MRI scan is that the consultant who did it says they’re not always that useful. He says he’s seen plenty of backs that look horrific on the screen but the patient doesn’t particularly suffer and others who look in pretty decent nick however the patient is in chronic pain. They’re not an easy part of the body to diagnose and can be even worse to treat!!

 

[jim8flog]

A bit of advice I got from one of my physios many years ago.

Golf is good for backs provided you hit the ball and walk, hitting ball after ball on a range is bad for backs.

 

[Whydowedoit]

Can I ask how this affected your Golf game though?

I do feel losing considerable weight & doing specific core strengthening exercises are the way forward. Also trying to avoid the C shape during the swing, which is easily lapsed into.

I can share others frustration with various "specialists". You never really know who to believe in.

I'm 6ft tall. I have had my putter lengthened by four inches which puts me in a much more comfortable position. Thinking of doing the same with 8,9, PW, SW.

Thanks very much for the replies.

 

[DoubleD]

I agree with stretching (every day), warming up properly and strengthening the core. The only other thing that I would add is that you ensure your shoes provide adequate shock absorption and appropriate for the way that you walk. This has helped me in the past. The midsole of shoes tend to stop supporting long before the shoe looks past it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

In terms of how does this affect your game, for me......

I think about very simple things and am careful. Putting your tee in, ball out of the hole, marking my ball, repairing a pitch mark, all done carefully, without grace, in a way that keeps my back okay.

In terms of swing, I swing gently. No Bryson style violence or exaggerated follow through. My swing has always been fairly short, it's probably got shorter. I probably need to have more confidence in following through and go for it a little more but that's psychology for you. Oh yes, and I swing gently .

The above are compromises but well worth making. One thing that helps me. My HI is 18, never been lower than 17. I'm not someone with a great game getting frustrated at how things have gone. That would be harder to deal with but that isn't an issue for me.

 

[need_my_wedge]

The chiropractor that I’ve spoken to has said it’s pretty much minimum 6 sessions which is around £400. He’s said it’s about sorting the problem so it doesn’t keep coming back. I’ve had deep tissue massages elsewhere before which I’ve found have helped but the chiropractor said they are only like a quick fix!

That’s a lot… my chiro never charged more than £40 a session, and never took more than 3 visits to fix issues. Appreciate that not everyone’s problems are the same.

 

[Billysboots]

I'm absolutely against chiropractors and osteopathy, I've been conned by them in the past. I dont think you can beat a qualified physiotherapist or, as said earlier, a doctor/consultant following an MRI scan

Absolutely agree.

I had a prolapsed disc way back in 1998, and a series of visits to a local osteopath did me no good at all. I eventually told him after more than ten very expensive sessions that I would not be returning and his attitude bordered on aggressive. When I said the treatment wasn’t helping he told me I didn’t know what I was talking about. I told him I knew my own body, that he wasn’t helping, and to wind his neck in. Six sessions of physio sorted me out.

I joined my current club a few years later only to find him a prominent member. Suffice to say he still gives me a wide berth to this day.

 

[Captain_Black.]

I sympathise, having had back issues in the past where even putting on a pair of socks was agony I just can't imagine playing golf knowing every movement is going to really hurt.

My advice, I don't like Chiropractors, I think they can cause more damage.
Personally I'd rest it until it feels easier, maybe go for a sports massage (my wife swears by them) & look at maybe wearing a good quality back brace (they do them with a headed pad in them)
Just chip a few balls to start with & slowly build up your swing.

Another thing you can look into if your bad back persists, is to slow your swing right down, even if it means playing with lighter shafted clubs (Seniors or even Ladies clubs)

 

[Tinkerman]

As others have said, try pilates to improve your core strength and flexibility. Try to find one that has classes specifically for people with lower back problems. I found the stretching of my hamstrings and spinal twists in particular really helped with my lower back.

Sounds like you're already doing the right things like more walking, use a trolley (make sure it's push and not pull though as pull trolleys twist your back) and losing weight. Hope you get back playing soon.

 

[Dingy]

The back is a really weird part of the body. Mine went a few years ago as I was getting up from the couch. Halfway up I got stuck, couldn't go fully upright and couldn't go back down. This caused me to burst out laughing despite the pain and confused my sons who didn't know whether to help me or not. The result was 2 weeks off work ( I never take time off work ) and my GP telling me that apart from painkillers there was nothing they could do for me. After a week the pain moved mostly into my legs, causing me to walk like an old man who had had an unfortunate accident in his trousers.

 

[Mandofred]

I have been using a roller on my back at times....kind of helped. Got a tennis ball out last night and really hammered my back against the wall, with some tingles down the leg.....rather painful.....but my back felt a bit better today. Guess what I'm going to do tonight?

 

[Whydowedoit]

Thanks for all your replies!

 

[Whydowedoit]

Thought I would update this. I was in severe pain back in November. Had contemplated & was told to give up the game. But I got my head into it & decided to change quite a few things.

Firstly since Jan 1st I've lost 22lbs in weight, the start of a challenge to drop 3 stone this year. I figured that carrying extra weight HAS to compress the spinal joints somewhat. Then I did a lot of YouTube research & have developed a daily stretching routine which helps stretch out the lower back safely, & improves my posture. I have also been out doing a 5 mile power walk three times per week. I'm now having three sessions a week of personal training at a gym.

It's all helped massively. I'm also now working with a good Golf Pro at his indoor studio to identify areas of the swing to change in order to not only prevent lower back pain but get my ball striking back & improve. Very early days but this is working although the changes will take time. I can now hit balls again without pain & injury.

So a lot of hard graft, but I have found a way out of lower back pain despair without seeking surgery. I'm convinced that I have it right! The biggest driver is when people say that you're finished & completely write you off, I'm so determined to prove several people wrong!

 

[jim8flog]

ONe bit of advice I forgot to give (from my physio) is if you use a trolley push do not pull.

Glad to here it is going well but just to reiterate what I said before - my physio said range practice or similar was bad for backs due to the repetitive nature of the actions.

 

[williamalex1]

MRI showed I had Osteo arthritis impinging on L/H side nerves, basically wear and tear in the lower back.
I've been to a Chiropractor an Osteopath a Physio therapist even tried an Osteo Myologist.
None of them made any difference.
Using a ride on buggy allows me to play the occasional 18 holes ( badly ).

 

[Whydowedoit]

Further update. I lost 2st & 10lbs in weight. Did a 2 month personal training program in a gym, this helped massively with posture & confidence. Continued doing a lot of walking. I’m totally injury free now! Slowly getting back into the swing of things. Hitting the ball really well, just struggling to score well but that will come. I’ve done a couple of practice sessions where I really overdid it, nearly 200 balls, but went home, put an ice pack on my lower back, & was perfectly fine the following morning. I’ve even done some hard landscaping work at home, then played three rounds in four days! Pulling a trolley is easy, no problem! It’s a joy to be out & about, & to able to enjoy some Golf pain free.