Is Low Back Pain Affecting Your Golf Game?
Lower back pain represents one of the most common and costly diagnoses that the health profession manages on a continuous basis. It is one of the most common reasons to visit a physician, physical therapist, or chiropractor. The costs for evaluating and treating patients with low back pain are estimated to be beyond $50 billion dollars a year in the U.S. Physical therapists and other health care practitioners must become more efficient and effective with their treatment plans.
Treatment must be aimed at the individual, rather than the back problem itself. It is crucial for the clinician to examine the person and their ability to function, and not just focus on the traditional clinical tests of impairments such as range of motion and strength tests.
Strengthening, stretching and mobility exercises have been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with low back injury, and may have preventative benefits as well. Multiple studies have examined the benefits of exercise in treating patients with low back pain; however, there have been very few published reports describing specific program designs related to golfers. Golf injuries to the low back are the most common problems in both the professional and amateur player…
