Golf and low back pain: why a golf swing loads the spine and what helps.

Plenty of golfers assume a sore back is just part of the game and that their golf and low back pain go hand in hand. Golf and low back pain do go together so often that the lower back is the single most common site of injury golfers report, yet you should by no means resign yourself to it.

Most golf-related low back pain is mechanical, it responds well to the right management and there is a great deal you can do without giving up the sport. The swing is a demanding, lopsided movement repeated at least 72 times during a round of golf, so it is not surprising that the back protests.

Around the courses at Parkstone, Meyrick Park and Broadstone I see the same quite often: a keen golfer whose back has started to grumble, who wants to keep playing and needs to know what is causing it and what will help.

What is golf related low back pain?

Low back pain is most certainly the most common of the sporting injuries that golfers report, with studies attributing somewhere between a fifth and a half of all golf complaints to the lower back.[1]

In most cases it is mechanical pain, coming from the joints, muscles, discs and ligaments of the spine being loaded and moved in provocative ways and not from any disease. That is reassuring because mechanical low back pain is the kind that tends to respond to chiropractic management and a graded return to activity. It can show up as a one-off after a practice session at the golf range or as a nagging ache that builds over a sunny season. Knowing it is mechanical is the starting point because it alters the question from you worrying about what is wrong with your back and spine to thinking about what you are doing within your game to cause it and we will explore how to change that.

Why a golf swing causes low back pain

The modern golf swing is a fast, asymmetrical movement that is demanding of the lumbar spine. To generate clubhead speed, players restrict the turn of the pelvis while rotating the upper trunk further, winding the trunk up like a spring and then unwinding it rapidly through impact.[2] Done repeatedly over time, that combination of rotation, side-bending and compression loads the discs and the small facet joints of the lower back, which is why the modern power swing is linked so closely to golfers’ back trouble.

Mobility matters as much as force. Golfers with a history of low back pain tend to have reduced rotation in the lead hip and less lumbar extension than those without[3] and when the hips do not turn freely, the lower back makes up the difference. That is well worth knowing because hip and mid-back mobility can be assessed and worked on and alter the outcome.

Explore our sport and dance injury guides

Sporting and dance injuries: the main guide

Guides in this section

Running injuries
Dance injuries
Golf and low back pain (you are here)
Groin and adductor pain

Related guides

Leg, knee, ankle and foot: the most common site

Back, hip and pelvis

Neck, shoulder and arm

Training on and staying well

Maintaining mobility as you age

Symptoms caused by golf and others that are not

Most golfers describe a band of ache or stiffness across the lower back, often worse on one side that flares during or after a round and eases with rest. It may be sharpest on the follow-through of a swing or bending to tee up. Pain that stays local and moves with activity is typical of mechanical back pain.

Some patterns sometimes point beyond a simple swing overload. Pain that travels down the leg with pins and needles or numbness can suggest a disc is irritating a nerve. Pain over the very base of the spine or the buttock may be from the sacroiliac joint and a long-standing, stiffness-dominated ache in an older golfer can involve spinal wear. These are covered on the back pain hub and telling them apart from ordinary swing-related pain is what an assessment with me is for. Golfers also pick up elbow trouble called golfer’s elbow and that is separate problem from the back.

How I may help your low back pain caused by golf?

For the mechanical low back pain that can affect golfers, chiropractic care typically combines hands-on treatment of the spine and surrounding joints and muscles with a progressive exercise programme. The case for keeping active rather than resting up is well established. This is what golfers love to hear.

For golfers there is a useful extra layer. Since restricted hip and mid-back rotation pushes load onto the lower back, part of the work is often restoring that movement and building the strength and control to handle the swing so the lumbar spine does less compensating. Where your technique or the volume of practice is part of the cause, this is worth talking through with a golf professional.

So I am not going to talk you out of golf. Golf is good for physical and mental health[4] and for most people the goal is to keep playing more comfortably and to be free from pain. Every chiropractic treatment plan is built around your back and your game.

Is your back stopping you enjoying your golf?

If low back pain is getting in the way of your golf game, come and talk it through. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, you can come in for a short no-obligation chat with no examination or treatment.

Book a free consultation

Or call for a chat on 01202 937568

Red flags: when to seek medical attention first

Most low back pain in golfers and non-golfers alike is not a sign of anything serious and settles with time and sensible management. A few symptoms do however need prompt medical attention rather than a chiropractic appointment.

Seek urgent care, through NHS 111 or A&E, if back pain is accompanied by numbness around the back passage or saddle area of the pelvis, difficulty controlling the bladder or bowels or weakness or numbness spreading down both legs, as these can point to nerve compression treated as an emergency. See your GP promptly if back pain follows a significant fall, comes with unexplained weight loss, fever or feeling generally unwell or is severe, unremitting and worse at night. These situations are uncommon but when in doubt it is right to get checked.

two golfers on the green playing a round in the sun. golf and low back pain

Golf injuries treatment at Bournemouth Chiropractic

your first visit to Bournemouth Chiropractic

Your first visit to see me at Bournemouth Chiropractic begins with your history and the pattern of your pain: when the pain started, where it sits and how it behaves during and after a round of golf. These factors usually point strongly to the cause. I will examine your spine and check the movement of your hips and mid-back, which often hold the key in golfers and run the relevant tests to rule out nerve involvement. Then I will explain what I think is going on and whether chiropractic care is suitable or if another specialist or practitioner would serve you better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a chiropractor help with golf-related back pain?

Yes, chiropractic can help for the mechanical low back pain most golfers suffer with and this is well within what chiropractic care addresses. My role is to confirm what is causing the pain, treat the joints and muscles involved, guide the exercises that build lasting tolerance and flag anything that needs a different approach. If the pain is coming from a nerve or another source, the full chiropractic assessment picks that up.

Should I stop playing golf because I have back pain?

Usually not, there is no reason to stop your golf because you have back pain. For most golfers the aim is to keep you playing and complete rest tends to be counterproductive for mechanical back pain. It is more a matter of managing load in the short term, perhaps easing off long practice sessions while things settle and while we address the movement and strength behind the problem. If there is a specific reason to pause, I will tell you.

Will changing my golf swing help my back pain?

Changing your golf swing can help towards alleviating your back pain in some cases, particularly where a very aggressive rotational swing or a specific fault is loading your back heavily. That said, swing changes are best made alongside a golf professional and they work best alongside improving your hip and mid-back mobility so your body can actually achieve the new movement.

Is my back pain coming from a disc?

Possibly, though most golf-related back pain is not a disc problem. A disc is more likely if the pain travels down the leg or comes with pins and needles or numbness. That distinction is one of the first things I check, because it changes the management of your back pain. There is more on disc-related pain on the back pain hub.

As a golfer with back pain, when should I seek medical attention instead of a chiropractor?

Ordinary golf back pain is not an emergency. But if you have numbness around the back passage or the saddle area of your pelvis, lose control of your bladder or bowels or develop weakness spreading down both legs, treat it as urgent and seek immediate care. See your GP if back pain follows a bad fall, or comes with fever, unexplained weight loss or night pain.

Whatever is behind your golfing back pain, come and find out

A back that grumbles through a round or bites on the follow-through is frustrating and most golfers want to know if this something serious and is it going to stop me playing. At a first full appointment I will take a full medical history, examine your spine properly and look at the movement of your hips and mid-back as well because in golfers those factors often hold the key to what the lower back is complaining about.

Golfing back pain is a common reason active people book in to see me here in Bournemouth and Poole. Patients range from those playing the courses around Parkstone and Broadstone most weeks to people who simply noticed the ache building and to those who felt something go on a single swing.

Where the problem is mechanical low back pain of the kind most golfers have, hands-on care alongside the loading and strengthening work that carries the strongest evidence is a well-tolerated option worth considering and I will explain what I think will help in your case when I see you. Some back pain needs another opinion first, and if that is what I find, I will help you get to the right person who can help you further.

Book an appointment online and you can choose what suits you: a first appointment, which is the full visit with a detailed history, examination and treatment where appropriate or a free 15 minute consultation, which is simply a no-obligation chat about your problem with no examination and no treatment. If you are not sure which you need please call the clinic on 01202 937568 and we will work it out.

Call, message or email, whatever is easiest and we will take it from there.

Book an appointment Message on WhatsApp