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Does your lower back feel stiff, sore, or painful after playing a round of golf?
Back pain after golf can develop when the repeated rotation, bending, and force involved in the golf swing place more stress on your back than it can comfortably handle. Limited mobility, muscle fatigue, changes in your swing, inadequate warm-up, or an existing back problem may also contribute.
Sometimes the discomfort is relatively minor and settles quickly. But if your back hurts every time you golf, the pain is getting worse, or it’s interfering with your swing or other activities, it may be worth finding out why.
As an Edmonton chiropractor, I often assess golfers and other active adults who wan
Why Can Golf Cause Back Pain?
Golf may not look as physically demanding as running or hockey, but the golf swing places considerable demands on the body.
During a swing, your hips, pelvis, spine, shoulders, and arms must work together to generate and transfer force.
Your back has to bend, rotate, stabilize, and then rapidly change direction. You repeat this movement many times during a round, including practice swings and time spent at the driving range.
Walking the course, carrying or pulling a golf bag, bending to pick up balls, and spending several hours on your feet can add to the physical demands.
If your body isn’t accustomed to those demands – or something isn’t moving or functioning as well as it should – you may notice stiffness or lower back pain after golf.
What Causes Lower Back Pain After Golf?
There isn’t one single cause of golf-related back pain.
Several factors may contribute.
Repetitive Rotation During the Golf Swing
A golf swing requires significant rotation.
Ideally, that movement is shared between several areas of the body, including the hips, upper back, and shoulders.
If mobility is limited in one area, another part of the body may have to compensate. For example, reduced hip or upper-back mobility may change how you move through your swing and potentially increase the demands placed on your lower back.
This doesn’t necessarily mean poor mobility is the sole cause of your pain, but it can be an important part of the overall picture.
Muscle Fatigue
Your trunk, hip, and back muscles help control and stabilize your body throughout the golf swing.
As these muscles fatigue during a round, movement and control can change.
This may be particularly noticeable if you haven’t played for several months, suddenly increase how often you’re golfing, or play several rounds close together.
As well, compromised nerves resulting from decreased mobility or alignment in the spine can cause muscle weakness and fatigue.
Doing Too Much Too Soon
In Edmonton, golf has an obvious seasonal component.
After a long winter, it’s tempting to head out in the spring and immediately play 18 holes several times a week.
Your enthusiasm may return faster than your body’s tolerance for golf.
A sudden increase in rounds, driving-range sessions, or swing practice can expose your muscles and joints to considerably more activity than they’ve experienced over the winter.
Gradually rebuilding your tolerance can help your body adapt to the demands of the season.
Limited Hip or Upper-Back Mobility
Your lower back doesn’t work independently during a golf swing.
Movement through your hips and thoracic spine – the middle and upper portion of your back – helps you rotate through the backswing and follow-through.
When movement is limited elsewhere, golfers sometimes compensate by changing how they move through the lower back, pelvis, or other areas.
That’s one reason an assessment of back pain from a golf swing may involve looking at more than just the painful area.
Changes in Your Swing
Have you recently changed your swing, clubs, stance, or technique?
Even a change intended to improve your game can temporarily alter the stresses placed on your body.
Golfers may also unconsciously modify their swing because of stiffness or discomfort in the hip, knee, shoulder, or another part of the body.
Looking at how different areas function together can therefore be useful when back pain repeatedly occurs during or after golf.
Is It Normal to Have a Sore Back After Golf?
Some temporary muscle soreness can occur after an activity your body isn’t accustomed to, particularly early in the golf season.
- Your back hurts every time you golf
- Pain is becoming more intense
- Symptoms last longer after each round
- Your back pain is changing your swing
- You have difficulty bending or rotating
- Pain interferes with walking, sitting, sleeping, or other activities
- You repeatedly have to stop golfing because of your back
- The problem isn’t improving despite reducing your activity
Understanding why your back hurts can help determine what you should do next.
What Should I Do If My Back Hurts After Golf?
The first step depends on how severe your symptoms are and how they started.
For a mild flare-up, temporarily reducing the activity that aggravates your back may be reasonable. That doesn’t always mean complete rest.
Gentle movement and normal daily activities that don’t significantly aggravate your symptoms may be more comfortable than remaining inactive for prolonged periods.
As your back improves, a gradual return to golf may be preferable to immediately jumping back into a full 18-hole round.
It can also be helpful to consider whether you recently increased how much you were playing or practising.
If the pain persists, keeps returning, or you’re uncertain about what’s causing it, an assessment can help determine whether there is an injury or another problem that needs attention.
Can Chiropractic Care Help With Back Pain From Golf?
Chiropractic care may be appropriate for some types of musculoskeletal back pain associated with golf.
At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre, an assessment may include looking at your spinal and joint movement, muscle and nerve function, strength, flexibility, hip mobility, and how different areas of your body are working together.
Treatment depends on what your examination shows and may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments or joint mobilization
- Soft-tissue treatment
- Mobility exercises
- Strengthening and rehabilitation
- Advice about modifying activity
- A gradual return-to-golf plan
The goal isn’t simply to get you through your next round.
It’s to identify what may be contributing to the problem, restore comfortable movement and function, and help you return to golf with greater confidence.
If your examination suggests that chiropractic treatment isn’t appropriate or that imaging or medical assessment is needed, we’ll discuss the appropriate next step with you.
Can I Prevent Back Pain When Golfing?
Not every episode of back pain can be prevented, but there are practical ways to prepare your body for golf.
A short warm-up before you tee off can help prepare your muscles and joints for the movements involved in the swing.
It may also help to:
- Gradually increase how much you play early in the season
- Avoid suddenly hitting a large number of balls at the driving range
- Maintain hip and upper-back mobility
- Develop strength and control through your trunk and hips
- Take practice swings before hitting full-power shots
- Pay attention to fatigue during longer rounds
- Address recurring pain rather than repeatedly playing through it
Your golf swing is a whole-body movement. Maintaining strength, mobility, balance, and coordination can help your body manage the physical demands of the game.
Further, many of my avid golfers will come in for a chiropractic adjustment to help prevent back pain and improve their performance on the golf course.
When Is Back Pain After Golf More Concerning?
Most golf-related back pain is neuromusculoskeletal, but certain symptoms require more urgent medical attention.
Seek prompt medical assessment if back pain follows significant trauma or is accompanied by symptoms such as progressive leg weakness, numbness around the groin or saddle area, loss of bladder or bowel control, fever, unexplained weight loss, or severe pain that is unusual for you.
Pain that travels into the buttock or leg (sciatica), particularly when accompanied by numbness, tingling, or weakness, should also be assessed to determine whether a nerve may be involved.
Frequently Asked Questions About Back Pain and Golf
Golf involves repeated bending, rotation, and forceful movement. Muscle fatigue, an increase in activity, limited mobility, changes in your swing, or an underlying back problem may all contribute to lower back pain after golf.
Yes. The golf swing places rotational and stabilizing demands on the lower back. Problems may develop when those demands exceed what your body can comfortably tolerate or when movement elsewhere affects how force is distributed during the swing.
It depends on the severity and cause of your symptoms. Mild temporary soreness may settle with activity modification, but you shouldn’t repeatedly play through worsening or persistent pain. If golfing consistently aggravates your back, consider having the problem assessed.
A warm-up involving comfortable, active movement can help prepare your body for golf. Rather than relying only on prolonged static stretching immediately before playing, consider movements that gradually take your hips, back, and shoulders through the ranges you’ll use during your swing.
Consider an assessment if your back pain isn’t improving, repeatedly returns when you golf, limits your movement, affects your swing, or prevents you from comfortably participating in your normal activities.
Get Back to Enjoying Your Golf Game
If back pain after golf is keeping you off the course or affecting your swing, you don’t have to simply accept it as part of the game.
At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre in Edmonton, Dr. Dean Collins has over 30 years of experience assessing and treating back pain, sports injuries, and other musculoskeletal problems.
We’ll work to determine what’s contributing to your symptoms and develop a treatment and rehabilitation plan based on your examination, activity level, and goals.
Contact us today to book an appointment and get back to enjoying your golf game.
About Dr. Dean Collins
Dr. Dean Collins has been helping Edmonton patients improve their health through chiropractic care since 1998. With over 30 years of clinical experience, he has worked with patients of all ages, helping them reduce pain, improve mobility, and maintain healthier, more active lives. At Collins Chiropractic Health & Wellness Centre, Dr. Collins focuses on identifying the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction while providing personalized care, education, and practical strategies to support long-term health and wellness.
Learn more about Dr. Collins or book an appointment today.
To learn more about how chiropractor care can help you and your family, read Dr. Collins’ comprehensive guide to chiropractic care: Chiropractic Care for Everyone.
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