Spinal Armor

Golf and Low Back Pain: How to Get Back in Your Game

back brace for golfers

Lower back pain is one of the top complaints of golfers. That’s because the very nature of the game - namely the rotational forces of your golf swing - risks damage to your spine’s lumbar area every time you swing the club. According to Jeremy James, DC, CCS, who has spent decades training athletes:

In the eyes of many golf instructors... a great golf swing doesn’t necessarily correlate to one that’s healthy for your back.

“This is mainly because the golf swing is one-sided (asymmetrical), with high-velocity movement through the lower back that’s repeated over and over again. Repetition in this manner makes the lower back tissues, such as discs and joints, subjected to very high loads that can wear down and degenerate much faster than other areas of the body.

“The result is often tight, painful muscles that over time can lead to serious conditions such as disc bulges and herniations, arthritis, stenosis and more.

Lower Back Pain Is The #1 Complaint For Golfers

Lower back pain is not something only amateur golfers deal with. The Titleist Performance Institute says the most common complaint among professional golfers is lower back pain as well. If left untreated, it can degenerate into more muscle strain, disc injury, altered joint mechanics, degenerative arthritis, and even bone fracture.

Preventing lower back pain is key to staying on top of your game. Xander Schauffele, a professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics, knows the importance of maintaining a healthy lower back. He describes his swing as very natural and “the kind that takes as much pain off your back as possible; pain-free has been kind of our motto. Just have a swing with longevity.

A safe power swing protects your back

Writing in Golf Digest, Dr. James Andrews, explains that to achieve a safe power swing it's all about turning in unison:

“The modern power swing is all about the rotation of the pelvis through the shot. The torque this creates between the pelvis and the lumbar spine pulls the ligaments, tendons and muscles in that area. Also, the shearing effect can wear away the discs between the vertebrae in the lumbar spine, leading to disc disease; that's the real career-ender.

...Try to turn everything in unison; the hips and shoulders should rotate back together and through together. You might sacrifice some power, but you'll save your back and stay in the game.“

What is the best back brace for golfers?

A golf back brace can be used to prevent pain or guard against injury. Your golf swing exerts extraordinary force on your lower back, so you’ll need back support that can conform to your body and allow you to apply as much compression on the lumbar area as you need. It should protect your back regardless of position, while allowing your trunk complete freedom of movement. 

Golf also demands that you breathe properly, whether it's while you walk the greens or relax into your swing. A back brace that constricts your back muscles will also restrict your diaphragm and your ability to breathe correctly. 

Try Spinal Armor’s Back Support System to protect your back and get your game back on track. It allows complete freedom of movement and breathing, and we believe it's the best back support for golfers.

back support for golfers

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