How Does Low Back Pain Affect Your Golf Game?

In this video, I am performing a side-lying hip abduction (side plank) exercise utilizing the Redcord suspension system to assist me. This is an excellent way to target the hip abductors, and more specifically the gluteus medius! Research continues to grow discussing how important the hip abductors are for optimal function in sport and everyday life.

I am excited to announce that we have expanded our physical therapy services into a popular personal training gym located in Bernardsville, New Jersey. Established over a decade ago, the Excel Fitness Center has been helping people in Central New Jersey live healthier lives.

When I was first accepted into physical therapy school, my goal was to work in an outpatient orthopedic setting. I envisioned treating highly motivated athletes with the latest tools and technologies so that I could provide a meaningful change in their lives. The first two years of my doctorate level program emphasized academics and research. The third (and final) year emphasized clinical learning through 4 different clinical rotations. Fortunately for me, my last rotation was at Activcore.

On Monday, February 6, 2023, join us for an interactive lecture and open house at our Activcore clinic located inside the Excel Fitness Center in Bernardsville, New Jersey.‍ Get to know our team of professionals while learning about Myofascial Chains and the Redcord Suspension System!

As a physical therapist and certified TPI practitioner, I have treated countless golfers with low back pain. When I look at their ability to perform a golf swing, there are many mobility and stability demands on the body necessary to reduce swing faults or compensatory strategies. Given the unilateral (one sided) repetitive nature of a golf swing, it's not surprising that these compensations can eventually result in low back pain.

When I first became a physical therapist, it seemed like all the rage in fitness and rehab was about strengthening one specific muscle or muscle group. For example, I would hear about the VMO (Vastus Medialis Oblique) muscle and how “vital” it was for proper tracking of the knee cap when squatting. Or how the glutes were “key” to an effective golf swing. Or how the rhomboids had to be “strong” for good posture. In some cases these theories proved to have some level of validity. But in many cases they became outdated theories and a sign of limited evidence.

Most people that first come into my physical therapy practice have a primary complaint of pain. And generally speaking, that pain creates some type of limitation in their daily life. While they don’t typically complain about their ability (or inability) to squat, this functional movement is something that I always screen for. That's because I get a ton of information from it.