Back pain prevention for golfers
Tiger winning the green jacket in Augusta National last year was an amazing feat of physical and mental resiliency. Everyone has read about the surgeries and his back saga. Rory McIlroy has spoken about how his personal gym conditioning regime focusing around strength development, mobility, prehab and activation is vital for him to avoid developing back pain - something that crept in when he was younger, starting on the professional circuit. Most golfers will experience some form of back pain or stiffness at some point. The retaining of form, posture and mobility are essential ingredients to focus on to avoid having to spend time with a physiotherapist like me. Prevention is the key and incorporating specific practices of mobility in your warm-up and sessions off the course will really stand to your wellbeing and performance.
Movement performance and quality in golf is dictated by posture, amongst other things (FYI - I have good posture in my humble opinion, but still can’t break 100 lol). Whether used to communicate dominance or to move a heavy load, posture and how we practice it, will shape the outcome of a lifespan of health and wellbeing on the course. I have undertaken a mobility course with the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) called the “ELDOA for Golf” programme. The principles are to improve mobility translatable during the golf swing. There are various joint-opening exercises along with myofascial stretches, postural poses, warm-up routines and workouts created to optimise rotational capabilities, both on and off the golf course.
An ELDOA is a specific technique that requires attention to form. Once they are learnt and practiced they take only a minute or so to complete, but give you great bang for your buck! These techniques heal your spine, prevent injuries and improve performance. They create length, open and free up areas of stiffness, which could lead to less pain down the line.
Designed by French osteopath Guy Voyer, the ELDOA (Etirements Longitudinaux avec Decoaptition Osteo-Articulaire) involve specific forms of stretching to place tension around a primary focal point making it the center of “separating forces.” The myofascial tension creates a postural “normalisation” in a specific joint resulting in numerous benefits: a more upright posture posture and awareness, improved strength, movement mechanics and reduced pain. These changes are accomplished by stabilising one part of the body and then moving another in a progression. Most postures will have 4 steps that progressively increase fascial tension and cause decoaptation at the desired spinal level, or opening - therefore, less compression at the joint or area of the spine.
They are easy to learn and do. They are safe and effective for all ages. They will help with longevity and resilience. There is no equipment needed. If you want to learn more about how an ELDOA technique can help with swing mechanics or alleviating stiffness and pain in the back, feel free to reach out to me.