Golf, Back Pain and Twisting At The Waist

[Dr Ray]

Having spent much of my life developing back injury prevention and
rehabilitation training programs, it should come as no surprise that I
am also interested in the issue of golf and back pain.

First, let me say, golfers with back pain should take into account the
fact that 80% of Americans will experience significant back pain in
their lives. Doing just a little math, implies 80% of golfers will
also experience signficant back pain, quite independent of their
golfing activities. (Back pain is the nation's leading industrial
health problem and among the top two reasons why people go to
Doctors).

But there is more to the story. There is very little about golf to
aggravate or cause back pain. Yes, the professional golfer who makes
a deep move into his back swing will torque the lower spine and
gradually accumulate micro-tears in the neighboring muscle tissues.
But this is another topic we will follow-up on in later Posts.

For now, I refer you to PGA Master Professional, The Swing Surgeon,
Don Trahan (father of PGA Tour player, D.J. Trahan) and his 3/4 length
back swing. Don's approach to the golf swing is based on science,
physics and physiology. Don asserts - the 3/4 length back swing
protects the low back AND it is faster, delivering a longer drive.
Moreover, he posts research data to prove his point. Certainly this
is something for all of our Group members to look into. So, check it
out at www.peakperformancegolfswing.com

For three decades, I have maintained the best approach to the golf
swing is to keep your swing out in front of you - which is pretty much
what Don's message is also about.

Twisting at the waist is counterproductive in all sport performances.
Study martial arts and see how power and speed are compromised when
you twist at the waist. The fundamental principal is this: YOUR HIPS
AND YOUR SHOULDERS SHOULD ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER.

Imagine a ribbon extending from your left shoulder, down to your right
hip. When you move, your left shoulder should move in concert with
your right hip. There is no twisting at the waist. Thus, you are
more powerful, faster in your full-body movements and will not damage
your lower back muscles.

Certainly, there are times when you can slowly twist at the waist,
such as in Yoga, but these situations are rare.

Always keep in mind not to twist at the waist - where your upper-body
heads in one direction, while your lower-body heads in the other
direction.

Here are some common examples of twisting at the waist causing back
pain and poorer performance:

Chopping wood with ax to your side
Shoveling while bending over and twisting
Reaching for your briefcase in the back seat of your car
Using a golf club to rotate/twist to left and right -hoping to improve
low back flexibility
Raking the lawn, bent over and twisting
The list goes on and on

Identify one twisting movement you make in your daily life. Recognize
it as a serious element in forthcoming back problems (the number one
cause of ruptured discs is lifting and twisting)

Eliminate this twisting movement from your life and you have made a
major move forward toward the principle of "all correct movement is
exercise, whereas all incorrect movement is injury".

Please know, I am fully aware of how challenging it can be to
understand the above and make needed changes. This requires some
physical involvement on your part and I can help you with this.

Just e-mail me with the specifics of your movement and I will show you
how to always move in the Position of Strength.

Dr. Ray