Golf Low Back Pain: Why Hip and Thoracic Mobility Matter

Low back pain during golf is often not just a back problem

Low back pain is one of the most common problems golfers deal with. It can show up during the round, on the 19th hole, after the drive home, or the next morning while you are lamenting your scorecard.

The frustrating part is that the low back is not always the true source of the problem. In many golfers, the lumbar spine is the area taking extra stress because the hips, pelvis, thoracic spine, and core are not sharing the demands of the swing well.

If you are looking to build a better golf routine, start with our related post on a better golf warm-up before you tee off. This article goes deeper into why mobility through the hips and mid-back matters so much for golfers with low back pain.

Why golf can irritate the low back

A golf swing combines rotation, side-bending, extension, acceleration, and deceleration. That is a lot to ask from the body, especially when most recreational golfers spend much of the week sitting, driving, working at a desk, or rushing straight from work to the course.

The lumbar spine can rotate, but it is not built to be the main rotational engine of the golf swing. Ideally, rotation is shared across the hips, pelvis, thoracic spine, shoulders, and feet. When one area does not move well, the low back may be asked to make up the difference over and over again.

A common example is the golfer who sits most of the week, arrives at the course stiff, takes a few casual practice swings, and then makes their first full-speed rotation on the first tee. If the hips and thoracic spine are not ready to move, the low back may absorb more stress than it should.

The hip mobility connection

Hip internal rotation is especially important in golf. For a right-handed golfer, the lead hip is the left hip. As the golfer rotates through impact and follow-through, that lead hip needs enough internal rotation to allow the pelvis to keep turning toward the target. When lead hip rotation is limited, a golfer may feel stuck through the ball. Instead of rotating smoothly through the hip, they may extend through the low back, hang back on the trail side, or finish with a compressed feeling in the lumbar spine.

Hip, pelvis, thoracic, and shoulder rotation are key for sparing the low back and generating power.

Specific examples include a right-handed golfer with limited left hip internal rotation who feels low back pain during follow-through, a golfer who struggles to turn fully toward the target, or a golfer who always feels tight in the front of the hips after walking 18 holes.

This does not mean every golfer with low back pain has a hip problem. It means hip mobility is worth assessing because it can influence how rotational load is distributed through the swing.

The thoracic spine: the overlooked rotation zone

The thoracic spine is the mid-back area between the neck and low back. It is meant to contribute to rotation. In golf, that matters during the backswing, downswing, and follow-through.

When thoracic rotation is limited, the golfer may compensate by rotating more through the lumbar spine or by changing swing mechanics. That can look like a shorter backswing, early extension, loss of posture, or a finish position that feels forced rather than smooth.

A practical example: a golfer who cannot rotate well through the mid-back may still try to create a full backswing by pulling through the low back and shoulders. That may work for a few swings, but over a bucket of balls or a full round, the extra lumbar demand can add up.

What we would look for in an assessment

A golf-related low back assessment should not only poke the sore spot. It should consider how the golfer moves, how symptoms behave, and what has changed in their playing volume. Clinically, this may include checking hip internal and external rotation, thoracic rotation, lumbar extension tolerance, painful movements, trunk endurance, glute strength, balance, and how the golfer loads through the lead and trail sides.

It is also useful to ask simple golf-specific questions: When does the pain appear? During the backswing, at impact, during follow-through, while walking, or later that night? Did you suddenly go from no golf to two rounds and a range session? Are you carrying your bag, using a cart, or practicing repetitive drivers off the tee?

For a broader overview of how different golf-related injuries can develop, read Common Golf Injuries: How a Chiropractor Can Help You Stay on the Course.

What may help golfers with low back pain

The plan should match the person. Some golfers need more mobility. Others need better trunk endurance, glute strength, swing pacing, warm-up consistency, or a more gradual return to full swings.

A practical plan may include hip mobility drills, thoracic rotation drills, trunk endurance work, glute strengthening, hands-on chiropractic care, soft tissue therapy, acupuncture when appropriate, and advice on temporarily modifying golf volume while symptoms settle.

For example, a golfer with pain during follow-through may work on lead hip internal rotation and gradual swing exposure. A golfer who feels stiff after sitting all day may benefit from a short dynamic warm-up before hitting balls. A golfer who gets sore after the range may need to reduce repetitive full-speed drivers and rebuild volume more gradually.

If elbow pain is part of the same golf season pattern, you may also like our related post on medial epicondylopathy and golfer’s elbow.

When to get assessed

Consider booking an assessment if your back pain is changing your swing, worsening through the round, lingering between rounds, radiating into the leg, associated with numbness or weakness. You do not need to wait until you cannot play. The earlier pattern is often more subtle: stiffness after nine holes, pain with the first few swings, tightness after driving home, or needing several days to feel normal again after one round.

Mobile chiropractic care for golfers in Whitby and Brooklin

Joint Health provides mobile chiropractic care in Whitby, Brooklin, Oshawa, and surrounding Durham Region communities. For golfers with busy schedules, in-home care can make it easier to get assessed, start treatment, and stay consistent with a practical plan.

If low back pain is affecting your golf game, book a chiropractic visit with Dr. Brennan Dynes through Joint Health. We can help assess what may be contributing to your symptoms and build a plan to support your return to the course.

Evidence note

This post is written as a patient-friendly, evidence-informed overview. Research has linked golf-related low back pain with factors such as hip range-of-motion deficits, trunk endurance, swing mechanics, warm-up habits, and workload. The best plan still depends on the individual golfer’s history, goals, and assessment findings.

References

1. Vad VB, Bhat AL, Basrai D, Gebeh A, Aspergren DD, Andrews JR. Low back pain in professional golfers: the role of associated hip and low back range-of-motion deficits. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(2):494-497.

2. Lindsay DM, Vandervoort AA. Golf-related low back pain: a review of causative factors and prevention strategies. Asian J Sports Med. 2014;5(4):e24289.

3. Evans K, Refshauge KM, Adams R. Trunk muscle endurance and low back pain in golfers. J Sci Med Sport. 2005;8(1):79-89.

4. Hosea TM, Gatt CJ. Back pain in golf. Clin Sports Med. 1996;15(1):37-53.

5. Ehlert A, Wilson PB. A systematic review of golf warm-ups: behaviors, injury, and performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2019;33(12):3444-3462.