Chiropractic - The Million Dollar Secret to Minimising Golf Injuries

As a Chiropractor working with many golfers and the injuries they sustain to their lower back the thought of symmetry came to mind. This applies to many sports. Look at a field hockey or tennis player. One thing to remember about the lower back is that it is primarily designed for bending forwards and backwards. Rotation of our body occurs where the middle back called the thoracic spine meets the lower back. This is known as the thoraco-lumbar junction. More on this area of the spine later. However the golf swing demands rotation and the lower back doesn't like that. When this happens the muscles of the pelvis work harder.

Common complaints of lower back and buttock pain flood the practitioners doors and hurt our golf game. If one area of the spine is not working optimally what happens is that the other areas above and below have to compensate and this is where injury may occur. Ideally each spinal bone should line up over the other creating parallel lines. You begin to lose that symmetry putting more stress on the lower back. In a golfer what happens when they set up to the ball? Stand behind one of the players in your group and see if one of their shoulders is lower than the other. Does it mimic their set up? When a right handed golfer sets up to the ball the muscles on the right side shorten and lengthen on the left creating this asymmetry. This may lead to injury.

How do we try to maintain a good balance of our muscles and spine and still enjoy the game? Try this!! After your next round take some practice swings opposite your normal handedness. This will help maintain that 50/50 balance between the right and left sides of the body. If we are equal right and left we should be less likely to have pain. If you are right handed take 12-15 practice swings left handed. This helps keep the body in balance minimizing chronic joint stress. Your chiropractor can help you with this also. Your spine and muscles will appreciate you for it, so will your handicap.

Dr. Eric Brukwinski is co-founder of West Coast Family Chiropractic in Perth. Western Australia.http://www.westcoastfamilychiropractic.com He is a 1998 graduate of Life University in Marietta, Georgia USA. He received a M.S. degree in Sport Health Science and a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree. Dr. Brukwinski has also lectured and is currently a Clinic Supervisor at Murdoch University School of Chiropractic, in Perth West Australia. Dr. Brukwinski did extensive research during his masters on golf injuries and the biomechanics of the golf swing. He is an avid golfer always working at getting his handicap as low as he can.