Golf and Back Pain in Alpharetta, GA: Is Your Back Affecting Your Swing?
A great round of golf can go downhill quickly when your lower back starts tightening on the front nine.
Maybe you’re comfortable on the first tee, but by the seventh hole you’re taking shorter swings. Getting out of the cart becomes uncomfortable. By the back nine, you’re changing your setup—not because you’re trying to fix your swing, but because you’re trying to protect your back.
For golfers throughout Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek and North Fulton, this is a familiar problem.
Lower-back pain is one of the most commonly reported musculoskeletal complaints among golfers. The golf swing requires coordinated movement through the hips, pelvis, spine and shoulders while generating substantial rotational force—and those movements are repeated throughout a round and during practice.
At Northeast Chiropractic Center in Alpharetta, GA, Dr. Linsey Grant, D.C., evaluates golfers experiencing lower-back pain, stiffness, sciatica and other musculoskeletal symptoms to determine what may be contributing and whether conservative chiropractic care is appropriate.
Why Does My Back Hurt When I Play Golf?
The golf swing asks a lot from your body in a relatively short period of time.
During a full swing, your body has to generate force from the ground, transfer that force through the hips and trunk and ultimately deliver speed through the club.
Then you repeat the process.
And repeat it again.
Add practice swings, range balls, awkward lies, bending to read putts and several hours of walking or sitting in a cart, and an 18-hole round represents a significant amount of physical activity.
But here’s an important point:
Back pain after golf doesn’t automatically mean you have a bad golf swing.
Research examining golf biomechanics and lower-back pain has found possible differences between golfers with and without back pain, but the evidence has not established one particular swing characteristic as the cause of golf-related back pain.
Instead of immediately rebuilding your swing, it may be more useful to ask:
What is preventing my body from comfortably handling the amount of golf I’m playing?
Your Back May Not Be Ready for 18 Holes Yet
This is particularly common after taking time away from golf.
Maybe you haven’t played much over the winter.
The weather improves around Alpharetta, so you head to the range Friday afternoon and hit a large bucket.
Saturday morning you play 18.
Sunday morning you wonder what happened to your lower back.
You didn’t necessarily “throw your back out.”
You may simply have increased your golf workload faster than your body was prepared to tolerate.
A previous history of lower-back pain is also an important consideration. Golf research has identified previous low-back pain as a risk factor for future episodes.
If you’ve experienced recurring back problems before, suddenly going from very little rotational activity to multiple rounds and range sessions may be more than your back currently tolerates comfortably.
Be Careful With the Driving Range
An actual round of golf gives you recovery time between most full swings.
The driving range often doesn’t.
You hit a ball.
Pull another over.
Swing.
Another ball.
Swing.
Before you realize it, you’ve hit 70 or 80 balls in a relatively short period of time.
If you haven’t been practicing regularly, that can represent a significant increase in repetitive loading.
Instead of immediately emptying a large bucket with full-speed drivers, consider gradually building your practice volume.
Start with shorter clubs and comfortable swings.
Increase swing speed progressively.
And remember:
More range balls aren’t necessarily better practice.
Warm Up Before You Try to Hit a 250-Yard Drive
For some golfers, the pre-round warm-up consists of:
Park car.
Put shoes on.
Grab driver.
Three swings.
First tee.
That’s asking your body to go from relatively little movement directly into a high-speed rotational activity.
Your warm-up doesn’t need to be complicated.
The goal is simply to prepare your body for what you’re about to ask it to do.
Consider several minutes of comfortable movement involving the hips, trunk and shoulders followed by easy practice swings.
Gradually increase swing speed rather than immediately trying to hit your first practice ball as far as possible.
Your first driver swing shouldn’t be your warm-up.
What Do the Hips Have to Do With Golf Back Pain?
Quite a lot happens through the hips during a golf swing.
Your hips, pelvis and trunk need to work together to produce and control rotation.
That doesn’t mean every golfer with back pain has “tight hips.”
And it doesn’t mean everyone needs to become dramatically more flexible.
But if hip movement is significantly limited or uncomfortable, your body still has to find a way to complete the golf swing.
That’s one reason an examination for recurring golf-related back pain may include the hips, pelvis and thoracic spine, rather than focusing only on the exact location of lower-back pain.
At Northeast Chiropractic Center, the objective is to examine the golfer—not simply the painful spot.
Golfers Need Strength, Not Just Flexibility
Golfers spend a lot of time talking about flexibility.
Strength and physical capacity matter too.
Your body has to generate force during the swing and then control that force.
For appropriate patients, golf-related rehabilitation may address:
- Trunk strength and endurance
- Hip strength
- Lower-extremity strength
- Balance and control
- Comfortable rotational movement
- Thoracic mobility
- Hip mobility
- Tolerance for repeated swings
The goal isn’t to turn every recreational golfer into a professional athlete.
It’s to help your body become better prepared for the golf you actually want to play.
Does Riding in the Golf Cart Make Back Pain Worse?
It can for some golfers.
If sitting tends to aggravate your lower back, repeatedly getting into and out of a cart over several hours may contribute to stiffness.
Other golfers find walking 18 holes more physically demanding than they’re currently prepared to tolerate.
There isn’t one correct answer.
If you’re riding and notice yourself becoming increasingly stiff, getting out and walking reasonable portions of the hole may help you change positions.
If you’re recovering from a flare-up and aren’t ready for several miles of walking, a cart may help temporarily reduce the total workload.
Listen to how your body responds rather than following a universal rule.
Golf Around Alpharetta and North Fulton
Golfers in the Alpharetta area don’t have to travel far to find challenging courses.
The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta features two championship courses—Lakeside and Creekside—and extensive practice facilities.
Echelon Golf Club in Alpharetta provides a demanding Rees Jones-designed championship layout with substantial elevation changes.
Nearby in Johns Creek, RiverPines Golf offers an 18-hole course along with a nine-hole par-3 course and practice facilities.
Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek provides another well-known North Fulton golf option.
Whether you’re playing a Saturday round in Alpharetta or heading down Old Alabama Road toward Johns Creek, your back has to tolerate several hours of repeated movement.
The objective should be getting to the 18th green thinking:
“I should have made that putt.”
Not:
“How am I going to get out of the cart?”
Where Do Golfers Usually Feel Back Pain?
Golf-related symptoms aren’t identical for everyone.
You might experience:
- Aching across the beltline
- Pain on one side of the lower back
- Stiffness after several holes
- Pain during the backswing
- Pain during impact or follow-through
- Discomfort bending to pick up the ball
- Pain getting out of the golf cart
- Buttock pain
- Back pain after practicing
- Morning stiffness the day after playing
- Pain traveling into the leg
That last group of symptoms deserves additional attention.
Pain extending from the back into the buttock, thigh, calf or foot may involve irritation of a spinal nerve rather than ordinary post-round muscle soreness.
Could It Be Sciatica?
Golfers sometimes refer to any buttock pain as sciatica.
True sciatic-type symptoms generally involve irritation affecting the sciatic nerve or the spinal nerve roots contributing to it.
Symptoms can include:
- Shooting leg pain
- Burning
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Electric or shock-like sensations
- Pain traveling below the knee
- Weakness in more significant cases
If you’re experiencing these symptoms, particularly if they’re progressing, don’t simply assume you need to stretch your hamstrings harder.
Have the condition evaluated.
Should Golfers Stretch Their Lower Back?
Sometimes mobility work is useful.
But aggressively stretching your lower back because it feels tight isn’t automatically the solution.
The sensation of “tightness” doesn’t necessarily tell you which structure is responsible.
For one golfer, hip mobility may be relevant.
Another may benefit more from strengthening.
Someone else may have nerve-related symptoms where aggressive stretching actually makes things worse.
That’s why an individualized examination is more useful than giving every golfer the same five stretches.
What Should I Do if My Back Starts Hurting Mid-Round?
Pay attention to whether the symptoms are stable or progressively worsening.
You may consider reducing swing intensity rather than trying to hit every drive at maximum effort.
Taking an extra club and making a comfortable swing may be preferable to forcing additional speed.
If prolonged cart sitting makes you stiff, walk for short periods when practical.
And avoid repeatedly forcing yourself into aggressive stretches between shots simply because your back feels tight.
Most importantly, don’t ignore neurological symptoms.
If pain begins traveling farther down your leg or you’re developing numbness, tingling or weakness, finishing the round shouldn’t be the priority.
How Dr. Linsey Grant Evaluates Golf-Related Back Pain
At Northeast Chiropractic Center, Dr. Linsey Grant evaluates the individual golfer before recommending treatment.
Your examination may consider:
Lumbar Spine Movement
Does bending, extending or rotating reproduce your symptoms?
Hip Movement
How comfortably do your hips move, and do particular movements reproduce your back symptoms?
Thoracic Movement
Your middle back contributes to rotation during the golf swing.
Neurological Function
When symptoms extend into the leg, neurological testing may be appropriate.
Orthopedic Testing
Specific examination procedures can help differentiate potential causes of back, hip and leg symptoms.
Functional Movement and Strength
How you control movement and tolerate physical load may also provide useful information.
Digital X-rays are available when clinically indicated, but not every golfer with lower-back pain automatically needs imaging.
The goal is to determine what appears to be contributing to your symptoms and what type of care is appropriate.
Chiropractic Care for Golfers in Alpharetta, GA
When golf-related back pain appears appropriate for conservative chiropractic care, treatment at Northeast Chiropractic Center is based on the individual examination.
Depending on the findings, care may include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Physiotherapy
- Rehabilitation exercises
- Mobility work
- Strengthening recommendations
- Mechanical traction when appropriate
- Spinal decompression for selected patients
- Activity modification and return-to-golf recommendations
Dr. Grant doesn’t need to change your golf swing to treat your back.
If a technical swing issue appears relevant, working with a qualified golf professional may also make sense.
Our role is to evaluate the musculoskeletal side of the equation and help determine whether your back, hips or surrounding structures may be contributing to your symptoms.
6 Ways to Give Your Back a Better Chance on the Golf Course
1. Warm up before the first tee.
Give your body time to move before asking it for a full-speed swing.
2. Build your golf volume gradually.
Going from no golf to several rounds and range sessions in one week can be a substantial increase in activity.
3. Don’t ignore strength.
Golf requires your body to generate and control force—not simply be flexible.
4. Change positions during the round.
If cart sitting makes you stiff, incorporate reasonable walking when practical.
5. Stop blaming every problem on your swing.
Technique can matter, but recurring back pain deserves a proper musculoskeletal evaluation rather than automatically rebuilding your swing.
6. Pay attention to leg symptoms.
Pain, numbness, tingling or weakness extending into the leg may indicate nerve involvement and deserves evaluation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf and Back Pain
Why does my back hurt after playing golf?
There isn’t one cause for every golfer. Golf requires repeated rotational movement and muscular effort. Previous back problems, physical conditioning, mobility, strength and sudden increases in playing or practice volume may all be relevant.
Is golf bad for your lower back?
Not inherently. Many people play golf for decades without significant back problems. However, lower-back pain is one of the more frequently reported musculoskeletal complaints among golfers.
Is my golf swing causing my back pain?
Possibly, but current evidence doesn’t establish one specific swing fault as the universal cause of golf-related back pain. Your overall physical condition and previous history matter too.
Should I walk or ride if my back hurts?
It depends. Some golfers feel better moving between shots, while others temporarily tolerate riding better. Your current symptoms and physical capacity should guide the decision.
Should I stretch before golf?
A progressive warm-up that prepares you for golf-specific movement makes sense. Aggressive stretching isn’t automatically necessary and shouldn’t reproduce radiating pain, numbness or tingling.
Can tight hips cause back pain during golf?
Hip movement may influence how a golfer moves, but “tight hips” shouldn’t automatically be diagnosed as the cause of back pain. An examination can determine whether hip mobility appears relevant.
Why does my back hurt more when I hit driver?
Driver swings often involve greater effort and clubhead speed. If maximal-effort swings repeatedly reproduce symptoms, that pattern may provide useful information during an examination.
Can chiropractic care help golf-related back pain?
Chiropractic care may be appropriate for certain musculoskeletal causes of back pain. At Northeast Chiropractic Center, the first step is an examination to determine what appears to be contributing and whether conservative care is appropriate.
What if golf causes pain down my leg?
Pain traveling from the back into the buttock or leg—particularly when accompanied by numbness, tingling or weakness—may indicate nerve involvement and should be evaluated.
Don’t Let Back Pain Take Golf Off Your Calendar
Whether you’re playing in Alpharetta, heading toward Johns Creek for a round, practicing after work or trying to squeeze in 18 on the weekend, recurring back pain can gradually change the way you play.
You shorten the swing.
Stop practicing.
Start avoiding certain clubs.
Eventually you begin wondering whether golf itself is the problem.
It may not be.
At Northeast Chiropractic Center in Alpharetta, GA, Dr. Linsey Grant, D.C. provides individualized evaluation and conservative care for appropriate cases of lower-back pain, sciatica and other musculoskeletal conditions.
Northeast Chiropractic Center
Dr. Linsey Grant, D.C.
2650 Holcomb Bridge Road, Suite 140
Alpharetta, GA 30022
770-451-9494
Northeast Chiropractic Center serves patients throughout Alpharetta, Roswell, Johns Creek, Peachtree Corners, Duluth and the greater North Fulton area.
Start with a free consultation. If you’re ready to proceed after your consultation, ask about Northeast Chiropractic Center’s current new-patient offer.
Call 770-451-9494 or visit neccga.com to schedule.
The goal isn’t just getting you through your next round. It’s understanding what’s keeping your back from enjoying it.
This article is for educational purposes and doesn’t replace an individualized examination, diagnosis or medical treatment.