One of the most disabling and common problems in golfers today (and our society in general) is back pain.  In fact, according to a top researcher, lower back pain is as common as headaches in modern society. Crazy right?

<span style="font-weight: 400;">A recent study also showed that if you see your GP with your back pain, and he then refers you to a specialist, who then sends you for X-rays and MRI scans, the accuracy of diagnosis is 15-20%.  A frightening, yet little known fact.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately the principles of modern medicine mean that the medical profession cannot treat an injury without an accurate diagnosis; so is there any wonder why the incidence of back pain has doubled every 10 years for the last 30 years?</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">As you can imagine, the problem is made even worse when you have had back pain for some time, especially if you are a golfer where the high speed spinal movements increase the pressure on your spine significantly.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The problem is, when you’ve had an injury for more than 6 weeks, another part of your body will start to compensate, leading to new pains and a deterioration in your condition. So you can actually end up with more than one injury due to the mechanical compensations, which makes diagnosis even more difficult. We need to shift the paradigm and look at back pain differently.</span>
<h3><b>A New Way Of Looking At Back Pain</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Scientists, called Biomechanists, and exercise professionals trained as Biomechanics Coaches</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">™</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> have been looking at back pain quite differently for some time. They look at the </span><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">mechanical</span></i><span style="font-weight: 400;"> causes of back pain rather than focusing on the pain itself. They have found that they get better results by managing the biomechanical causes than many in the medical profession achieve by treating the symptoms.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">In fact, independent research has shown that if you see a Physiotherapist over a 6 week period for your low grade back pain, your average improvement will be around 39% in functional capacity (the capacity of your back to perform work). If however, you were to perform an exercise programme to manage the mechanical causes of your back pain, your average improvement would be around 140%. A profound difference and one that cannot be ignored!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This biomechanical approach is rapidly taking over from the medical approach in popularity, as it is a much more effective method of treating back pain.</span>
<h3><b>How The Median Nerve Can Affect A Golfer's Swing</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">A compensation that is often found in golfers is a tight median nerve. Nerves really don’t like to be stretched and particularly at high speed. The anatomy of the Median Nerve and the positions required in the golf swing will also reduce the amount the player can complete his back swing and adopt the best position at the top of his swing.  This would be due to the muscle spasm that builds up in muscles like Pectoralis Minor to try and protect the inflexible nerve.</span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2775" src="http://dev-biomechanicseducation-com.stackstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-22-at-07.13.31-300x137.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-05-22-at-07-13-31" width="300" height="137" /></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The greater the muscle spasm (which is unbeknown to the player as its sub clinical at this point) the more he'll try and force his shoulder turn, which then increases the tension etc etc.</span>
<h3><b>Pectoralis Minor</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">If we consider the Pectoralis Minor (PM) muscle again from a previous Juicemail <a href="https://www.biomechanicseducation.com/case-study-elite-lifter-laura-hewitt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Case Study Elite Lifter Laura Hewitt)</a> you may recall how we discussed how it could limit your thoracic spines ability to extend.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">What is also apparent here therefore is how the PM muscle would also limit thoracic rotation</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If your thoracic spine doesn’t have the capacity to rotate, the golf swing movement has to come from somewhere, right? This could then contribute to excessive movement around joints lower down in the lumbar spine for example and could eventually if unaddressed result in low back pain.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The key to a sound and reproducible swing, is to obviate any tension in the swing, so help with timing and rhythm.  So by also mobilising the median nerve, we are helping with all of the above.</span>
<h3><b>The Take Home Message</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Of course no single method can be the panacea of all ills, but what we are finding is that if the mechanical causes are addressed, the pain can subside without treatment on the 'injury', whatever it might be.  Sometimes treatment is also required, but often golfers find that once they've committed to an exercise programme to address the causes of their pain, they are then more able to manage the problem themselves.  Then if local treatment is necessary, it is more likely to be successful, as the mechanical causes are no longer present.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Considering the problems that golfers can have with back pain, prevention is important as it’s far less painful, less inconvenient and far less expensive! The same biomechanical principles that can help manage back pain, can be adopted to minimise the risk.  </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">So the ‘take home message’ is to find a professional who can assess your mechanic (like a Biomechanics Coach</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">™</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">) get yourself or your golfer screened and learn which are the best exercises for those results.</span>
<h3><b>Practical Tasks To Think About:</b></h3>
<strong>Thoracic Spine;</strong>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">When considering how we might mobilise the thoracic spine what kind of exercises can you think of that would improve ‘pure’ thoracic rotation?</span>

<strong>Median Nerve;</strong>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">If you look at the pathway the Median Nerve follows in the arm, try working out how you might put it onto a stretched position, to then release and add the tension very slowly as a nerve mobilisation technique.</span>
<h3><b>How We Can Help...</b></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Another option is to attend our one day <a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/golf-biomechanics-workshop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golf Biomechanics workshop</a> June 30th at NLSSM.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This fantastic sports specific workshop will be delivered by Martin Haines, PGA advisor, Biomechanics Coach</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">™</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and chartered Physiotherapist. During the day you will learn about:</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">✓ The correct terminology to approach golf clubs</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">✓ How to assess your golf players biomechanics</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">✓ How to improve your golf players biomechanics</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">✓ How to improve velocity &amp; planes of swing</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">✓ How to better prepare your player for reduced risk of injury</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This workshop is aimed at Fitness Professionals, PT’s, Golf Coaches and practitioners involved in or interested in Golf Performance. Learn from the best and enter professional discussions with like-minded people.</span>

<img class="size-medium wp-image-2774 aligncenter" src="http://dev-biomechanicseducation-com.stackstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Screen-Shot-2017-05-22-at-07.13.21-300x155.png" alt="screen-shot-2017-05-22-at-07-13-21" width="300" height="155" />
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/golf-biomechanics-workshop" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>If you’re interested in finding out more, click here.</b></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2781 aligncenter" src="http://dev-biomechanicseducation-com.stackstaging.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BIOMECHANICS-COACH-300x157.png" alt="biomechanics-coach" width="300" height="157" /></p>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally if you have a minimum of level 3 anatomy knowledge you could just go straight into our <a href="https://biomechanicseducation.clickfunnels.com/biomechanics-coach" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biomechanics Coach</a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">™</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> Diploma to learn the entire system. This enables you to assess and correct every joint and structure within the Integrated System of our bodies to help ALL of your clients whatever their sport or lifestyle.</span>

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