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Lower back pain in golfers: a review of the literature
Andrew McHardy1, Henry Pollard
1Macquarie Injury Management Group, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. This paper was prepared in partial fulfillment of the degree PhD, from the Department of Health and Chiropractic, Macquarie University.
Insights
Golfers frequently experience low back pain due to the repetitive, strenuous nature of the golf swing. Research suggests modifying swings may reduce golf-related low back injuries.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Low back pain is a prevalent issue among golfers.
- The golf swing involves significant spinal movement and muscular exertion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on low back pain in golfers.
- To analyze golf swing mechanics and their impact on the lower back.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a comprehensive literature search using Index Medicus, MANTIS, and CINAHL.
- Included manual searches of review papers for relevant studies.
- Collated and evaluated collected literature for suitability.
Main Results:
- The lower back is a common site for golf-related injuries.
- The 'modern' golf swing generates substantial rotational forces on the lower back compared to the 'classic' swing.
- No studies directly compare injury rates between different golf swing types.
Conclusions:
- The repetitive and high-activity nature of the golf swing likely contributes to the high incidence of low back injuries.
- Hypothesized that modifying the golf swing could decrease low back injury rates.
- Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between different swing types and low back injury rates in golfers.
Objective:
To review the epidemiological literature on low back pain in golfers and to review the golf swing and relate the literature on the mechanics of the swing to the lower back.
Methods:
A computer search was conducted of Index Medicus (1966 to 2004), MANTIS (1880 to present) and CINAHL (1982 to 2004) for literature on the following key words: low back, golf, injury. A manual search for relevant references in review papers on the subject was also conducted. The results were collated and literature fitting the criteria were collected and evaluated for suitability.
Results:
The lower back is a common site of golf-related injury and has resulted in much research being conducted on the forces produced by the 'modern' swing in the low back. An analysis of the 'modern' swing when compared to the 'classic' golf swing, demonstrates lower rotational forces on the low back in the 'classic' swing. However, no studies exist to compare the different types of swing.
Conclusion:
The back is an area of the body that undergoes significant movement and muscular activity during the golf swing. It is likely that the significant activity and repetitive nature of the swing are associated with the high rate of injury in golfers. Modification of the golf swing has been hypothesized to reduce the incidence of low back injury in golf. Further research needs to be conducted on the various golf swings to evaluate if different swings change low back injury rates in golfers.
