Back Problems?

[mike]

Over last summer my interest in the game of golf skyrocketed and I got back into the game. I am a pretty good ball striker but midway through the summer I pinched a nerve in my back. I noticed it while doing bench presses at the gym. 5 weeks at the chiropractor finally helped me out but my question is this:

1.) when I asked for a reason for the pinched nerve the chiropractor claimed it was from my muscular back and all the twisting motions.

I'm concerned about this because I am now looking at starting back up for the spring season at my school's indoor range and I'm curious as to whether or not I should be looking into this. I don't want to have the same injury since it kept me out of lifting, and playing golf for over 3.5 weeks.

Any help would be appreciated.

mike

[Bill Hartman]

Mike,

Most problems that you describe are simply a matter of doing things that you are not prepared to do. Not because you have "a muscular back" whatever your chiro meant by that.

Golf requires a pretty decent amount of dynamic flexibility that most people don't have unless they work at it. Coupled with the addiction of whacking the ball around too frequently results in a lot of microtrauma to the soft-tissues.

Even if you're very athletic and exercise a lot, it doesn't mean you're ready to go out an play a round of golf.

You must prepare specifically to increase performance and avoid injury.

Start with slower, partial swings progressing to full swings. As you get used the motion, then you can start to add some speed. Search for the post on the "Statute of Fitness Limitations" for an understand of how to progress.

You must also adjust your training program to include dynamic flexibility exercises for the trunk, hips, and shoulders to increase dynamic rotation. Lunges in all directions, rotational trunk exercises like woodchops, PNF exercises, etc. will all add strength AND flexibility needed for golf.

Let me know if you need more specifics.

Bill Hartman, YGFC

[Jean-Paul]

Here is the "statute" from one of Bill's earlier posts:

Just as you would start new client with limitations on training parameters, so you should do the same with yourself following any injury regardless of the severity.

Dr. Mel Siff created what he called the "Statute of Fitness Limitations" which is useful in planning a comeback from injury (as well as starting a newbie or learning a new exercise or skill) and it goes like this:

Limited intensity or load
Limited duration (of a movement or set)
Limited volume (of an exercise or session)
Limited density (work to rest ratio)
Limited acceleration/deceleration
Limited power
Limited rate of force development
Limited velocity
Limited range of motion
Limited complexity (i.e., split squat to lunge to multiple angle lunge)

You must then proceed to increase each variable based on your perception of effort, symptoms, and quality of technique (good to have a second set of eyes to observe for any deviations from optimal)

Only when an individual perceives himself to be fully rehabilitated is he then fully rehabilitated.

[mitsuman47]

Even if you're very athletic and exercise a lot, it doesn't mean you're ready to go out an play a round of golf.

Hartman the great hath speaketh. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Seriously though, that's very true. I played golf all through high school. Back then (only 2 years ago) I could whack the ball around all day (which was usually how long my round lasted ) Anyhoo, a few weeks ago I got the clubs out for the first time in a long while and started hackin’ around. I didn’t have near the flexibility I used to have in my core and left shoulder, even though I’m in "better shape" now than I was then.

[mike]

I will agree that I need to work on my flexibility. I am more flexible now than I was a year ago but it is one of my weak areas. I can rotate very well, with good acceleration and velocity. One of my problems with my swing was the lag in my hips. I think part of this might be due to flexibility issues.

Bill,
I am somewhat familiar with woodchops but not PNF excercises. Do you think you could provide an example and also where would I do wood chops at? I don't have any wood around. lol. Would a cable machine do alright or do I need to start working on my renengade training?

mike

[Bill Hartman]

A cable should be fine for chops but you can also do them with med. balls or dumbbells.

Go to http://www.prperformance.com/articles.htm

I have some examples of dynamic flexibility exercises for golf and in the rotator cuff article is an example of a PNF D2 pattern with a cable that may give you some direction.

The thing most people don't understand about flexibility is that it's not just a matter of how much range of motion you have at a joint, but rather how much you have at normal speed. Increasing ROM may require the aquisition of strength at end range of motion and adapting that range of motion to the speed of normal sports movement.

I have several clients that test "normal" during standard flexibility testing, but look restricted during a swing simply because they lack that end range strength to allow the joint to move freely.

Bill

[mike]

Thanks Bill I will definately check out the link when I have time,

mike