"Eliminating
Back Pain from Your Golf Game."
By Elizabeth Howzen Kais
Rotating your body 180 degrees while generating
enough force to accelerate a golf club can place a lot of stress
on your back. Initially this stress may be experienced as an unusually
high level of tiredness, also known as fatigue, at the conclusion
of a round or range session. If left alone this fatigue progresses
to muscle aches, tissue tears and changes in the alignment of
the spine. The key is to be both strong and flexible enough in
the muscles to properly align the spine making the rotation movement
of the golf swing effortless.
The easiest area of misalignment to identify
is the neck. Many golfers underestimate the importance of keeping
the head centered between the shoulders. Every inch that the head
moves forward of the midline increases the weight that upper back
ligaments and neck muscles support by 100 percent[1]. For example,
if your head weighs 10 pounds and it moves one inch forward of
the midline your upper back ligaments and neck muscles must now
support 20 pounds. A head that is two inches forward forces the
back ligaments and neck muscles to support 30 pounds, and so on.
Unfortunately this forward head posture is reinforced in our daily
activities of working at a computer or desk and driving. This
misalignment leads to headaches and pain between the shoulder
blades.
How can you determine proper head alignment on
your own? With one hand place the shaft of a driver on your spine
directly between your shoulder blades with the grip on the back
of your head. You can steady the club by holding it at the clubface
end below your low back. Now take your address stance while continuing
to hold the club shaft on your spine between the shoulder blades
and on the back of the head. Place your flat, free hand on the
back of your neck. Your hand should simultaneously contact the
club shaft and your neck in this position. If it only contacts
your neck, your head is too far forward of the mid-line.
Correcting this misalignment involves two steps.
First draw your chin straight back in toward your throat. Do not
allow your chin to simultaneously move up or down, only straight
back. Second, as you draw your chin straight back, elongate your
neck as if someone were pulling it straight out in line with the
spine. Do not worry if you are unable to hold this position or
are not able to contact the shaft of the club and the back of
your neck at the same time when you first begin this exercise.
Pull the head back and elongate the spine as far as you can and
hold the position for as long as you can maintain perfect form.
With perfect practice your front neck muscles (deep cervical flexors)
will become stronger and your back neck muscles (cervical extensors)
will stretch back to their normal length.
Low back pain occurs when there is too much or
too little spine curve in the area between the ribs and the hips.
This condition occurs when some muscles surrounding the low back,
ribs and hips become too tight and shift the bones. This also
causes the opposing, balancing muscles to become loose and weak.
Both conditions reduce low back rotation in the back swing and
the follow through causing a short swing and an over all reduction
in drive power. A golfer who attempts to improve their rotation
without addressing their abnormal lumbar curve can over stretch
the mid-back and/or shoulder muscles and stabilizers causing damage
to those bones and tissues (i.e. bone spurs or rotator cuff tears).
How can you determine proper low back alignment
on your own? With one hand place the grip of a driver directly
between your shoulder blades with the shaft bisecting your hips.
The shaft will actually lie flat in contact with the sacrum, which
sits between the hip bones. You can steady the club by holding
it on the shaft toward the clubface end below your low back. Now
take your address stance while continuing to hold the club grip
between the shoulder blades and bisecting the hips on the sacrum.
Place your flat, free hand on the middle of your
low back. The flat hand should be positioned between the ribs
and hips directly opposite the belly button. Your hand should
simultaneously contact the club shaft and your low back spine
in this position. If it only contacts your low back spine, you
have too much low back curve. If you cannot fit your flat hand
between your low back spine and the club or if the club shaft
rests flat on your spine from ribs to hips, you have too little
low back curve.
Correcting too much low back curve simply means
stretching the tight muscles and tightening the stretched muscles.
The tight muscles most commonly associated with too much low back
curve are the erector spinae and the psoas. Rounding your mid
to low back like an angry cat, either standing or on hands and
knees, while drawing your belly button in stretches the erector
spinae. This muscle begins at the sacrum and hips and ends on
the lower portion of the sixth and seventh ribs[2] and extends
the spine.
Lying face up flat on your back and bringing
one knee into the chest while pressing the low back and straight,
other leg into the floor stretches the psoas. It is critical that
the low back and straight leg remain in contact with the floor.
The stretch occurs in the front hip area of the straight leg when
the hips tilt as the opposite knee is pulled in toward the chest
and the low back is pressed flat into the floor. The psoas begins
at the low back (lumbar) spine and ends at the thigh bone (femur)[3].
The stretched muscles most commonly associated
with too much low back curve are the hamstrings and abdominals.
Lying face down over a Swiss Ball (a large latex ball inflated
to 55 to 65 cm) with your hands on the floor, draw the belly button
in toward the low back and raise the legs to parallel with the
floor. This will strengthen the hamstrings. Turn face up so your
whole spine is on the on the Swiss Ball and perform crunches to
strengthen the abdominals.
Correcting too little low back curve simply means
reversing the previous muscular information. In this situation
the tight muscles most commonly associated with too little low
back curve are the hamstrings and the abdominals. Assume your
address position with the club grip on your mid back and the shaft
between your hips. Make a space for your hand by tipping your
hips forward (toward the ground) and arching your low back. Draw
your belly button in toward your spine for support. Be certain
that the club shaft remains in contact with the spine between
the shoulder blades, the sacrum between the hips, and your hand.
You will feel a stretch at the top of the back of your leg just
below the hips and sacrum. The hamstrings begin at the base of
the hips on the back side of the leg and ends just below (Semimembranosus
and Semitendinosus) the knee and just above (Biceps Femoris) the
knee.
Lying face down with the hands under the shoulders
and straightening the arms while keeping the hips on the ground
stretches the abdominals. It is critical that the hips remain
on the floor and the shoulders remain as far away from the ears
as possible when the arms extend. The rectus abdominis begins
at the front of the hips and ends at the fifth, sixth and seventh
ribs and the xiphoid process of the sternum[4].
The stretched muscles most commonly associated
with too much low back curve are the hip flexors (psoas and quadriceps)
and trunk extensors (erector sp inae). Sitting down and standing
up strengthen the hip flexors. Assume your address position with
the club grip on your mid back and the shaft between your hips.
Make a space for your hand by tipping your hips forward (toward
the ground) and arching your low back. Draw your belly button
in toward your spine for support. Be certain that the club shaft
remains in contact with the spine between the shoulder blades,
the sacrum between the hips, and your hand. Now bend your knees
and hips more as if you were going to sit down on a chair. Only
lower down as far as you can keeping contact with the stick, your
knees tracking to but not beyond your second toe, and your feet
flat on the floor. Then stand all the way up keeping the same
perfect form.
Lying face down on the floor with your fingertips
at your ears and lifting the torso as high as possible off the
floor strengthens the low back extensors (erector spinae).
Always remember that you are a unique individual
with specific needs. Be sure to consult your physician prior to
starting any new activities. The health and fitness industry is
not regulated by any federal or state government agency. Only
seek exercise advice from certified and degreed practitioners.
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