Golfers, Back Pain Be Gone
Reported June 12, 2006
PITTSBURGH (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) — If you love spending time on the links, you’ve probably spent a day or two with aching legs, shoulders and a sore back. But for up to 50 percent of all golfers, back pain could signal the start of a chronic injury. Now, doctors have devised a high-tech system that helps golfers get back on par.
Philip Beard doesn’t let anything interfere with his tee time. But after working all week, bending down is tough. “Sitting for long periods of time, my hamstrings would shorten up, and put a lot of pressure on my lower back,” he says.
Sports Fitness Specialist Scott Lephart, Ph.D., of UPMC Golf Fitness Laboratory in Pittsburgh, sees hundreds of golfers every year who are sidelined by back pain. “The golf swing itself puts the body in abnormal positions of torquing the low back,” he tells Ivanhoe.
But at this golf fitness lab, trainers have developed a high-tech way to put players back in the game. They start by performing a 3-D biomechanical analysis of a golfer’s swing. Technicians then attach 28 sensors to a golfer’s body. They step into a simulator and eight high-speed cameras capture pictures 400 times a second. The cameras track the sensors and create the 3-D picture.
The golfer also steps onto a forceplate. That allows technicians to monitor weight shifts that occur during the golf swing. With that information, doctors can analyze which motions are causing injury. Trainers can then tailor exercises and modify swings for each golfer to lower the risk of injury and pain.
Lephart says, “This intervention program that enhances strength, balance and flexibility results in a more efficient golf swing; therefore performance improves.”
What does that mean for Beard? “More time in the gym, and hopefully, more time on the golf course,” he says — with a tee-off that’s pain-free.
There are two golf labs that offer this — one in Pittsburgh and one in Pine Hurst, N.C. Doctors say any golfer experiencing back pain should be evaluated. A certified sports trainer should be able to recommend stretches and exercises to improve flexibility and alleviate pain.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Eric Schmitt
Administrative Director
Golf Fitness Lab
6530 Stubenville Pike
Pittsburgh, PA 15205
(412) 809-0392
The UPMC Golf Fitness Lab
Janeen Driscoll
Media Relations
1 Carolina Vista
Pine Hurst, NC 28374
(910) 235-8710
[email protected]
