Lower back pain is an ailment professional golfers deal with on a frequent basis. Whether it is acute or chronic it must be alleviated, controlled, or it can be career ending. The physical demand of repetitive use sports such as golf is tough on the body. To repeat the same motion 200-300 times a day with club head speeds over 100mph puts an enormous amount of rotational stress on the lower back. Do that in a competitive environment 30 times a year for a few years and breakdown is inevitable.
This demand had to take on a couple more variables during the FedEx Cup events recently. Some golfers had been playing 4 weeks in a row and others traveled from the Olympics to start the playoffs in the August heat of Memphis and onto the very hilly and steep slopes of Castle Pines. These additional variables brought out any weaknesses, imbalances, or sequencing challenges that a golfer may have. A couple of golfers had to withdraw and a few others were limping to the finish line.
When new external variables come into play, treatment protocols have to be implemented to address the added physical demands. With PGA golfers treatment frequency can be altered. If necessary the golfer may be seen two to three times per day with varying procedures utilized with each visit. Varying their clinical exercises for better stability or sequencing is frequently necessary. It is a great challenge for the staff of chiropractors and physical therapists that work in the PGA Performance Center since it demands “thinking on your feet”.
The difficult challenges are external factors that vary each week such as course design and weather that you cannot change. The sports medicine specialist has to modify treatment and exercise procedures to take into account the imbalanced demands the golfer is dealing with that week. When that is recognized and addressed efficiently then PGA golfer can perform to their best!
