Golf and Low Back Pain: How to Keep Playing for Life

By H. Rand Scott, MD — Medical Director, Newport Pain Management Reviewed and updated July 2026

Golf can remain an enjoyable, lifelong sport even for the many people who live with low back pain — Orange County's courses are full of proof. But it takes deliberate maintenance. The goal that should guide every decision: you're playing to be able to play for the rest of your life. A few holes skipped today is a small price for decades more golf.

Flexibility is the currency of the painful back, and chronic low back pain steadily steals it. A daily stretching routine — not just on golf days — is the single most important habit, emphasizing the neck, shoulders, torso, hips, and especially the hamstrings. Tight hamstrings restrict pelvic motion, which transfers rotational stress directly to the L5-S1 disc — the exact spot the golf swing loads hardest.

Add low-impact aerobic conditioning: walking or stationary biking, 30–40 minutes at least three times weekly. For those with spinal stenosis or degenerative spondylolisthesis, the stationary bike is usually better tolerated than walking — the slightly flexed position opens the spinal canal.

Marching to the first tee at 7 a.m., pulling out the driver, and swinging for the fences is the surest way to sprain your back and ruin your day. Muscles that have been stretched and gradually loaded tolerate far more stress before straining.

Stretch first: neck in each direction for 30 seconds; shoulders and torso with a club held behind the neck while rotating; hips with knee-to-chest pulls; hamstrings with a gentle toe-touch. Then swing your way in — easy swings first, and if time permits, a bucket at the range progressing from short irons up to the woods. For a golfer with back pain, a solid half hour of preparation before attacking the course is the minimum.

Clubhead speed comes from torque and torsion — exactly the forces the lumbar spine dislikes, concentrated at the L5-S1 segment, which allows the most rotation. A smooth, rhythmic swing loads the discs and facet joints far less than a violent one, and a proper turn shares the work: shoulders, hips, and trunk rotating together, with wrist snap — not arm muscle — supplying speed. Balance basics: knees slightly bent, feet shoulder-width, spine straight, bending from the hips, weight on the balls of the feet.

For the injured or older golfer, swing modifications preserve the game: a more relaxed posture, a shortened backswing, more hand action, and a shorter finish. This is worth a session with a teaching pro — most of a good golf swing is not natural or intuitive, and a pro's eye is cheaper than an injection.

Bend at the knees, not the back, when teeing your ball — or lean on the club and kick one leg back to keep the spine straight. A suction cup on the putter grip retrieves balls from the cup without bending. If walking the course is difficult, take the cart without guilt: you lose the exercise, you keep the game. If you do walk, use a light bag with a basic set, an integrated stand, and dual straps to split the load across both shoulders.

Choose your battles on the course, too. Don't wreck your back playing a terrible lie from an awkward stance — take the drop and the stroke. A hilly course or one that plays long may simply not be practical. Remember why you play: the outdoors, the exercise, the company.

Taking a simple non-prescription pain reliever — an anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen, or acetaminophen — about a half hour before play can allow a more comfortable, freer swing, which itself reduces injury risk. These medications won't mask a genuine new injury; you'll still feel it if something goes wrong. (This applies to over-the-counter medications only — if you're on prescription pain medication, playing "pre-medicated" is a conversation to have with your doctor first.)

Most acute golf back injuries — muscle strains from a forceful swing or sudden downswing shift, tendon irritation from overuse, or aggravation of a pre-existing disc problem — improve over days to a couple of weeks. Rest for a day or two at most, use heat and/or ice, and take ibuprofen or naproxen (acetaminophen can be added for extra relief). Then get moving again: keep stretching and keep up gentle walking — prolonged rest slows recovery rather than helping it. Don't play through a fresh backache; give it time, then return gradually with the prevention habits above.

If pain persists beyond two to six weeks, or if pain shoots down a leg, something more specific may be going on — and that's the time to be evaluated. Call Newport Pain Management at (949) 759-8400. We'd rather tune up your back than have you give up your game.

This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individual medical advice.