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The Inevitable
By Dr. Toby Lingafelter
Back
and Neck Care Center of Sunset Hills
 A
few weeks ago, a top amateur golfer called me in a panic. He
told me he was practicing on the putting green prior to teeing off
and when he bent over to pick up a ball out of the hole (good putt)
he felt his low back “pop” a little. Thinking it was nothing
to worry about; he then proceeded to the practice range to hit a few
balls. By the time he limped to the first tee he could barely
make a swing. He somehow managed to shoot a 75 with barely
being able to walk. Kudos! Golf is tough enough without
having to play through severe pain. Luckily he was playing a
course near my home, and having been a patient for a few years, I
told him to stop by the house on his way home.
Upon limping into my house and onto
to my treatment table, I found his pelvis to be completely torqued
and locked out of normal position. This is very common in
golfers. The muscles of his low back were in severe spasm,
which were also causing him a great deal of pain and immobility.
I instructed him to ice while he drove to my house to help deaden
some of the pain. I treated him with a couple of different
Chiropractic adjustments and some stretching. I told him he
would still be pretty sore, but should be able to move a lot better.
He had to play again the following day. The next day he was
able to swing much easier, but was still very sore. After a
few more treatments he was back to normal.
What I have just described is a
fairly typical scenario with golfers. If you play golf long
enough, eventually you will have some sort of low back issue.
Luckily, a good Chiropractor can help get you back in the game.
The joints of the low back and pelvis are put under tremendous
stress when swinging a golf club. Over time these tissues
become unstable and the body responds by locking them down in order
to protect them. As I have stated before, “mobile joints are
happy joints.” By mobilizing the fixated joints of the pelvis
and lower spine there is more freedom of movement with less pain.
After the joints are good and mobile they should be rehabilitated in
order to strengthen them as much as possible to lessen the
likelihood of further injury.
About the author,
Dr. Tobin Lingafelter is a former
Golf Professional who has logged thousands of hours of instruction
with players of all levels. He studied the golf swing working under
two of St. Louis’ finest teaching professionals, Dale Boggs and
Terry Grosch. With the knowledge he has gained from watching these
men teach and also being their student, he has a unique perspective
about how the body can perform during a golf swing. He applies this
knowledge in his Chiropractic Practice in an effort to help golfers
maximize their bodies’ function and reduce episodes of pain before,
during, or after a round of golf. Dr. Lingafelter can be reached at
314-842-8884 or by email at
doclingafelter@hotmail.com.
Dr. Tobin
Lingafelter
Back & Neck Care Center of Sunset Hills
3828 South Lindbergh
Suite 116
St. Louis, MO 63127
(314)-842-8884
Health Report Archive:
-Trauma and its Affects on
Your Golf Game
-Proprioception…A
Big Fancy Word or the Key to the Golf Swing?
-Low Back Pain & Golf: The Untold Story?
-Diary of a
Golfer's Back...Episode 1
-Low Back
Pain May Not Be In Your "Back" At All...
-Good
Flexibility=Good Golf
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