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Writer's pictureTaruna Rijhwani

Should I Play Golf with Back Problems?


Golfing is a mild impact sport and usually does not come with a lot of injuries like other contact sports. But playing golf also involves a lot of twisting or rotational movements of your spine that could flare-up an existing back problem or pinched nerve. Lot of golfers I work with do not even realize that golfing in fact does impact your back. After all, Tiger Woods has not had so many disk issues for no reason.


Your joints eventually feel the impact of repeated twists in one direction and leaning on certain areas of your body to create the impact of the swing more than others.


If you are a golfer with an existing back problem or sciatica, by working with your physical therapist you can resolve your back issue first and then learn a program that allows you to engage your core and leg muscles during a golf swing and not hurt your back.


Put simply, train and use the strong muscles to execute the swing and not increase the impact on your spinal joints. This way you are making sure that by continuing to play golf, you are not making your back problem worse.


Like I have said earlier in the book, staying active is a secret sauce to healthy aging and playing golf is one of the ways to stay active and enjoy a good social life. So trying to preserve your ability to play golf, is in fact in your best interest.


I have helped countless active adults and seniors resolve their back problem and then safely return to golf with an improved swing and mechanics with the confidence that they are not making their spinal issue worse. If you are a golfer dealing with back problems and would like to get a consultation you can apply by sending an email to taruna@healthwatcherspt.com and someone from our team will be happy to connect.

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