Teeing Off On Back Pain: A Golfers Guide to Back Pain
For
most of the 25 million golfers in America, playing 18 holes is probably
one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day (until you miss that 6
foot putt for birdie). However, for many of those with chronic back
and neck pain, it not only hinders their ability to enjoy the game but
may prevent them from playing altogether. The key for most golfers is
learning how to avoid this pain without compromising the power and
accuracy of their swing.
Golf
is what is known as a "unilateral" sport. This means that the
biomechanics of the golf swing puts asymmetrically stress one side of
the body versus the other. Because the golf swing is performed on a
tilted plane, it is one of the most involved complex body stressing
movements of any sport and requires the use of several different muscle
systems throughout the entire length of the body working in perfect
harmony. The club head speed on a drive reaches speeds in excess of
100mph during a swing that occurs in approximately 1.2 seconds.
Obviously, considerable muscle force is needed to exert this kind of
power.
The Role of Your Spine In Your Swing
For many years, it was thought that power was generated from the arms
and shoulders. However, recent advances in swing motion have added
power from the ground up, thus increasing club head speed, which in
turn, places more stress on the spine. For this reason, the area most
prone to injury among golfers is the lower back. A recent study showed
that 75% of professional PGA golfers experienced a spinal issue.
Another study of 193 amateur golfers showed 53% complained of a
chronic issue with the most prevalent issue being related to the spine.
Some, like PGA staple Peter Jacobsen, have undergone spinal surgery to
correct their spinal issue.
During a proper swing the muscles surrounding the spine play an integral
role in generating power and accuracy due to the considerable amount of
torque generated in the backswing and subsequently increase even
further with the first move of the downswing.
Traditionally, golfers were taught a single axis swing. This swing
consisted of a forceful shoulder and hip turn on the backswing followed
by an arched lower back on the follow through, commonly referred to as
the "reverse or inverted C". Many professional and amateur golfers who
employed this technique experienced frequent low back problems. The
most common of these problems were herniated discs as a result of these
rapid non-fluid movements placing excessive loads on the spine. Also,
this technique emphasised quick jerking movements which produced
considerable pressure on the intervertebral discs of the spine which
lead to herniations of the discs.
The one axis swing was subsequently
replaced by the more naturally athletic two axis swing. The two axis
swing permitted the golfer to load or coil against his rear axis during
his backswing and then to transfer his coil to his lead axis to start
his downswing. This modified swing emphasises the proper biomechanics
of to alleviate excessive forces on muscles and joints and focuses on
reducing the load on the spine during a swing.
World renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter described the athletic
swing as "the efficient coiling and uncoiling (generating and releasing
power) of one's torso in a rotary or circular motion which maximizes
centripetal force. Centripetal force is the force created away from the
center of one's swing, transmitting from your body (trunk and hips) out
through your arms and hands. This creates clubhead speed and maintains
the club on a steady orbit or arc."
The most recent swing advancement springs from the research completed by
Thomas J. Meyers and his medical staff as presented in his book Anatomy
Trains and via his lecture series. Meyers research defines for us the
natural motion/power diagonals of the human body.
These motion/power diagonals consist of a combination of muscles,
tendons and ligaments extending the entire length of the body from foot
to opposite shoulder blade and wrapping around to the chest.
Through their understanding of the functional relationship between these
two diagonals, trainers and coaches have recently begun improving
performance in the context of improving our "KQ" - our Kinesthetic
Quotient, or body intelligence, with athletes competing as pitchers,
slalom skiers, martial artists, gymnasts, etc. By tapping into the
natural athletic motion of these motion/power diagonals, athletes are
able to generate increased power while actually reducing stress on the
spine.
Applying the benefits of Meyers research to the golf swing, we find that
when we generate motion using these motion/power diagonals, we can very
naturally transfer weight from foot to foot as the trunk and hips
rotate horizontally. In this manner we can generate an even more
naturally athletic and powerful swing motion around a fixed center of
gravity - located precisely at the intersection of these two
motion/power diagonals - further reducing the load on the spine during
the golf swing.
For these this reasons, spine surgeon and avid golfer, Dr. Dante
Implicito has emphasized the benefits of these far more naturally
athletic and powerful swing techniques to many of his patients who are
golfers.
Other Factors That Can Lead to Injury
Although golf is one of the few sports that is played avidly by almost
all age ranges, retirees seem to have a specific interest in the game.
For the more elder golfer, certain precautions should be factored in to
avoid injury. Osteoporosis and arthritis are two of the more common
conditions that plague the older golfer and can lead to a much higher
rate of spine injury. As osteoporosis progresses, the joints and
vertebrae within the spine become weaker and more porous. This
weakening, coupled with improper golf swing, can lead to a high rate of
spinal fracture and disc degeneration as a result of increased forces on
the spine. Elder golfers with either of these conditions can learn to
modify their swings to incorporate a slower backswing and a more fluid
foreswing and acceleration in the delivery of their swing speed to avoid
injury. If this is executed properly they should see no loss of drive
distance.
Another specific factor that contributes to injuries of the back or neck
is the lack of proper warm up prior to playing or practicing. All too
many golfers rush to the 1st tee and start the game with the most
powerful drive they can on the first hole. Without proper stretching or
warm up, this this level of exertion is a recipe for injury. Large
amounts of stress on these muscles that are not properly warmed up and
thoroughly stretched prior to play will cause strains, sprains and
herniations.
About Dr. Dante Implicito
Dr. Dante Implicito is
a Board Certified and Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Spine Surgeon with a
focus on Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Dr. Implicito is the
section Chief of Spine Surgery in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
at Hackensack University Medical Center.
Dr. Implicito completed his General Surgery internship and Orthopedic
Surgery Residency in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey and its affiliated hospitals throughout Northern New Jersey. Upon
completion of his Orthopedic Surgery Residency he completed his Spinal
Fellowship Training at the San Francisco Combined Orthopedic Spine
Surgical Fellowship at St. Mary's Spine Center in San Francisco under
the direction of Dr. James Zucherman and Dr. Ken Hsu.
Dr. Implicito's practice consists of the full gamut of conservative and
surgical treatments of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine problems
including diagnostic and therapeutic spinal injections, minimally
invasive spinal surgery, disc arthroplasty and spine fusion surgery.
Dr. Implicito is also a 30 year veteran golfer. He has a special
interest in spinal conditions among athletes and has treated athletes
from all forms of sport.
About Ozzie Carlson
As a PGA Apprentice, Head Professional and Director of Golf, Ozzie served
at some of America's finest clubs including Ridgewood CC site of the US
Amateur, Senior Open, Senior PGA and the 2008 & 2010 Barclay's;
The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, The Pittsburgh Field Club, Pine Tree,
Quail Ridge Golf & Tennis Club in Delray Beach, FL and the Royal
Palm Yacht & CC in Boca Raton.
Gaining
recognition as a marvelous teacher wherever he went, Ozzie was selected
to instruct at both the National and Florida PGA Junior Academies and
was subsequently recruited by Golf Digest to be a member of their select
teaching team. The greatest influence on Ozzie's maturing growth as a
player/teacher came from the incomparable Sam Snead, who played almost
daily as a member at Pine Tree (Boynton Beach, FL) during his tenure
there.
"I was extremely fortunate to have Sam Snead take an interest in me,
answering my daily questions about how to play most every type of shot
in the game and reviewing my progress. Sam seemed to enjoy being my
mentor, I guess because he'd found in me that rarest of students; a
player who wanted to learn well enough to be able to teach others. I
can never thank Sam enough for all the time and wisdom he invested in my
understanding of the process of shot making for each facet of the game.
Perhaps more than any other, I have benefited from his knowledge and
understanding of how the game is learned and played. I can pay no
greater tribute to Mr. Samuel
Jackson Snead, and to my many mentors than
to pass along to others what they taught me."
Teeing Off On Back Pain: A Golfers Guide to Back Pain
For
most of the 25 million golfers in America, playing 18 holes is probably
one of the most relaxing ways to spend a day (until you miss that 6
foot putt for birdie). However, for many of those with chronic back
and neck pain, it not only hinders their ability to enjoy the game but
may prevent them from playing altogether. The key for most golfers is
learning how to avoid this pain without compromising the power and
accuracy of their swing.
Golf
is what is known as a "unilateral" sport. This means that the
biomechanics of the golf swing puts asymmetrically stress one side of
the body versus the other. Because the golf swing is performed on a
tilted plane, it is one of the most involved complex body stressing
movements of any sport and requires the use of several different muscle
systems throughout the entire length of the body working in perfect
harmony. The club head speed on a drive reaches speeds in excess of
100mph during a swing that occurs in approximately 1.2 seconds.
Obviously, considerable muscle force is needed to exert this kind of
power.
The Role of Your Spine In Your Swing
For many years, it was thought that power was generated from the arms
and shoulders. However, recent advances in swing motion have added
power from the ground up, thus increasing club head speed, which in
turn, places more stress on the spine. For this reason, the area most
prone to injury among golfers is the lower back. A recent study showed
that 75% of professional PGA golfers experienced a spinal issue.
Another study of 193 amateur golfers showed 53% complained of a
chronic issue with the most prevalent issue being related to the spine.
Some, like PGA staple Peter Jacobsen, have undergone spinal surgery to
correct their spinal issue.
During a proper swing the muscles surrounding the spine play an integral
role in generating power and accuracy due to the considerable amount of
torque generated in the backswing and subsequently increase even
further with the first move of the downswing.
Traditionally, golfers were taught a single axis swing. This swing
consisted of a forceful shoulder and hip turn on the backswing followed
by an arched lower back on the follow through, commonly referred to as
the "reverse or inverted C". Many professional and amateur golfers who
employed this technique experienced frequent low back problems. The
most common of these problems were herniated discs as a result of these
rapid non-fluid movements placing excessive loads on the spine. Also,
this technique emphasised quick jerking movements which produced
considerable pressure on the intervertebral discs of the spine which
lead to herniations of the discs.
The one axis swing was subsequently
replaced by the more naturally athletic two axis swing. The two axis
swing permitted the golfer to load or coil against his rear axis during
his backswing and then to transfer his coil to his lead axis to start
his downswing. This modified swing emphasises the proper biomechanics
of to alleviate excessive forces on muscles and joints and focuses on
reducing the load on the spine during a swing.
World renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter described the athletic
swing as "the efficient coiling and uncoiling (generating and releasing
power) of one's torso in a rotary or circular motion which maximizes
centripetal force. Centripetal force is the force created away from the
center of one's swing, transmitting from your body (trunk and hips) out
through your arms and hands. This creates clubhead speed and maintains
the club on a steady orbit or arc."
The most recent swing advancement springs from the research completed by
Thomas J. Meyers and his medical staff as presented in his book Anatomy
Trains and via his lecture series. Meyers research defines for us the
natural motion/power diagonals of the human body.
These motion/power diagonals consist of a combination of muscles,
tendons and ligaments extending the entire length of the body from foot
to opposite shoulder blade and wrapping around to the chest.
Through their understanding of the functional relationship between these
two diagonals, trainers and coaches have recently begun improving
performance in the context of improving our "KQ" - our Kinesthetic
Quotient, or body intelligence, with athletes competing as pitchers,
slalom skiers, martial artists, gymnasts, etc. By tapping into the
natural athletic motion of these motion/power diagonals, athletes are
able to generate increased power while actually reducing stress on the
spine.
Applying the benefits of Meyers research to the golf swing, we find that
when we generate motion using these motion/power diagonals, we can very
naturally transfer weight from foot to foot as the trunk and hips
rotate horizontally. In this manner we can generate an even more
naturally athletic and powerful swing motion around a fixed center of
gravity - located precisely at the intersection of these two
motion/power diagonals - further reducing the load on the spine during
the golf swing.
For these this reasons, spine surgeon and avid golfer, Dr. Dante
Implicito has emphasized the benefits of these far more naturally
athletic and powerful swing techniques to many of his patients who are
golfers.
Other Factors That Can Lead to Injury
Although golf is one of the few sports that is played avidly by almost
all age ranges, retirees seem to have a specific interest in the game.
For the more elder golfer, certain precautions should be factored in to
avoid injury. Osteoporosis and arthritis are two of the more common
conditions that plague the older golfer and can lead to a much higher
rate of spine injury. As osteoporosis progresses, the joints and
vertebrae within the spine become weaker and more porous. This
weakening, coupled with improper golf swing, can lead to a high rate of
spinal fracture and disc degeneration as a result of increased forces on
the spine. Elder golfers with either of these conditions can learn to
modify their swings to incorporate a slower backswing and a more fluid
foreswing and acceleration in the delivery of their swing speed to avoid
injury. If this is executed properly they should see no loss of drive
distance.
Another specific factor that contributes to injuries of the back or neck
is the lack of proper warm up prior to playing or practicing. All too
many golfers rush to the 1st tee and start the game with the most
powerful drive they can on the first hole. Without proper stretching or
warm up, this this level of exertion is a recipe for injury. Large
amounts of stress on these muscles that are not properly warmed up and
thoroughly stretched prior to play will cause strains, sprains and
herniations.
About Dr. Dante Implicito
Dr. Dante Implicito is
a Board Certified and Fellowship Trained Orthopedic Spine Surgeon with a
focus on Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. Dr. Implicito is the
section Chief of Spine Surgery in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery
at Hackensack University Medical Center.
Dr. Implicito completed his General Surgery internship and Orthopedic
Surgery Residency in the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New
Jersey and its affiliated hospitals throughout Northern New Jersey. Upon
completion of his Orthopedic Surgery Residency he completed his Spinal
Fellowship Training at the San Francisco Combined Orthopedic Spine
Surgical Fellowship at St. Mary's Spine Center in San Francisco under
the direction of Dr. James Zucherman and Dr. Ken Hsu.
Dr. Implicito's practice consists of the full gamut of conservative and
surgical treatments of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine problems
including diagnostic and therapeutic spinal injections, minimally
invasive spinal surgery, disc arthroplasty and spine fusion surgery.
Dr. Implicito is also a 30 year veteran golfer. He has a special
interest in spinal conditions among athletes and has treated athletes
from all forms of sport.
About Ozzie Carlson
As a PGA Apprentice, Head Professional and Director of Golf, Ozzie served
at some of America's finest clubs including Ridgewood CC site of the US
Amateur, Senior Open, Senior PGA and the 2008 & 2010 Barclay's;
The Everglades Club in Palm Beach, The Pittsburgh Field Club, Pine Tree,
Quail Ridge Golf & Tennis Club in Delray Beach, FL and the Royal
Palm Yacht & CC in Boca Raton.
Gaining
recognition as a marvelous teacher wherever he went, Ozzie was selected
to instruct at both the National and Florida PGA Junior Academies and
was subsequently recruited by Golf Digest to be a member of their select
teaching team. The greatest influence on Ozzie's maturing growth as a
player/teacher came from the incomparable Sam Snead, who played almost
daily as a member at Pine Tree (Boynton Beach, FL) during his tenure
there.
"I was extremely fortunate to have Sam Snead take an interest in me,
answering my daily questions about how to play most every type of shot
in the game and reviewing my progress. Sam seemed to enjoy being my
mentor, I guess because he'd found in me that rarest of students; a
player who wanted to learn well enough to be able to teach others. I
can never thank Sam enough for all the time and wisdom he invested in my
understanding of the process of shot making for each facet of the game.
Perhaps more than any other, I have benefited from his knowledge and
understanding of how the game is learned and played. I can pay no
greater tribute to Mr. Samuel
Jackson Snead, and to my many mentors than
to pass along to others what they taught me."
