Golf is a Pain in the Back for Some

If a round of golf leaves you grimacing and gripping your back muscles, your stance is probably to blame.

A report presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons indicates that more than half of golfers experience low-back pain when they make contact with the ball or in their follow-through.

That pain, they believe, is caused by rotation of the spine and the high velocity of that rotation.

Unfortunately, while your stance may be beneficial to your golf score, it could result in the wearing of the disc in the spine. An alternative stance, such as standing up straighter on the follow-through, could help eliminate the back pain, but send your handicap skyrocketing.

So, the choice is yours — your back or your score.

According to lead researcher Dr. David Morgan, the real beneficiaries of his research are the new generation of golfers, many of who are being taught to adopt a more upright stance during their swing.

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Annual Meeting, New Orleans, La.

This appeared in ACE FitnessMatters, ACE's official magazine.
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