greggdrews

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Spine angle is talked a lot about in the golf swing but what about regular life? When I'm sitting on the couch, at work or swinging a club I've never thought much about it. Sometimes my neck hurts but I blame it on how I slept. At the same time I wonder if how I sit or how I stand effects this. Also how does our everyday position of the spine effect our golf game?
 
Greg, I can only state my opinion.. I have an issue with my lower and upper back that I'm working through with my chiropractor. My spine is tilted slightly to the right and is wearing on my disc's. I would love to blame golf for this but I have only been golfing for roughly 2 years. .I'm positive it has everything to do with my job (desk job) gym regimen and regular life habits. I spend a large amount of time in the gym lifting very heavy weights and it seems to have taking its toll on my back. The fact that I sit all day hunched over banging on a keyboard probably didn't help much. In hindsight if I knew I would be come fascinated with golf I would have seemed chiropractic help much earlier..probably when I began bodybuilding. Posture and a well functioning spine I believe are essential for this sport.. .chiropractic care is important....I notice when I'm regularly seeing my chiropractor. ..my golf swing seems to be much smoother and less rash.
 
Gregg, you are absolutely right in that our daily posture has a large effect on our spine angle and our spine in general. In the technology age of today, think about how you read your texts or look at your cellphone, head is flexed down with the chin near the chest. This type of respective motion can have a great affect not only on the thoracic but the cervical curvature as well.

That's why it is so important to have your spine checked on a regular basis, especially as us northerners are getting back into the swing of things with golf.

A lot of people associate problems in the spine with pain. I like to use this analogy when I talk to my patients about the importance of spinal health. You could have cancer, spreading and building through your body for years without pain, does that mean it's still ok? Of course not, a regular check up could have prevented it or caught it early. Same thing goes for the spine, pain is usually the last domino to fall and the first one to stand back up in the sequential line of joint dysfunction. Why wait until you have a serious problem with your back when you could have gotten it caught sooner and fixed quicker, which means less money spent as well!

There are definitely some bad apples out there in my profession, just like there are in the golf profession. But if you have had a bad experience at a chiropractor, I would encourage you to try a different one, there are lots of good ones out there as well!

Sorry, got sidetracked a bit, I'll get off my soapbox :alien:
 
After my back and neck was destroyed in 2003, I completely changed my spinal outlook and came to some grave realizations. The first thing I realized is just how debilitating lower back and neck problems can be. I used to kind of think that people were just making excuses to get out of work. Now I know better.

My spine has too many angles right now. Because of my injuries, I have pelvic tilt which has caused scoliosis. Add on top of that 6 fused vertebra and degenerative disk disease. I pay attention to everything I do in regards to spine angle now. I had to find the perfect bed, the perfect pillow, I changed my daily driver because the lumbar support was wrong for my 45 minute drive. I got a completely adjustable chair for work because I can spend long hours behind the computer when I'm not teaching updating training materials. It literally affected every part of my life and everything I do.
 
Having battled this and still battling this I will try to answer from the golf swing perspective as my TPI instructor and Chiropractor tried to explain to me

Your golf swing is on an axis around your spine, it is the center of everything for your upper body. If any vertebrae are misplaced or there is any twist in your spine or pelvis, then you can not be 100% efficient with your turn and swing

The more out of whack these things are as a system, the more prolonged pain you will have.

One final note, renowned Golf Fitness instructor Roger Fredericks said just last week at the TPI conference during the PGA Show that they are starting to see trends where their students get more out of workouts and their golf swing if they are properly aligned.





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Strengthen your core. No matter the reason. We sit a lot. Strengthen your core.
 
Strengthen your core. No matter the reason. We sit a lot. Strengthen your core.

This is so true. I had some back problems in the past and still see a chiropractor monthly for adjustments. A majority of my problem was my posture while standing and sitting, strengthening my core was his major goal which I have done and don't nearly have the problems I have in the past. I had a hard time going to a chiropractor but now that I have found one I trust, I'll always go.
 
Gregg, you are absolutely right in that our daily posture has a large effect on our spine angle and our spine in general. In the technology age of today, think about how you read your texts or look at your cellphone, head is flexed down with the chin near the chest. This type of respective motion can have a great affect not only on the thoracic but the cervical curvature as well.

That's why it is so important to have your spine checked on a regular basis, especially as us northerners are getting back into the swing of things with golf.

A lot of people associate problems in the spine with pain. I like to use this analogy when I talk to my patients about the importance of spinal health. You could have cancer, spreading and building through your body for years without pain, does that mean it's still ok? Of course not, a regular check up could have prevented it or caught it early. Same thing goes for the spine, pain is usually the last domino to fall and the first one to stand back up in the sequential line of joint dysfunction. Why wait until you have a serious problem with your back when you could have gotten it caught sooner and fixed quicker, which means less money spent as well!

There are definitely some bad apples out there in my profession, just like there are in the golf profession. But if you have had a bad experience at a chiropractor, I would encourage you to try a different one, there are lots of good ones out there as well!

Sorry, got sidetracked a bit, I'll get off my soapbox :alien:


Some good insight there. I actually haven't ever seen a chiropractor. We might need to talk in the near future.
 
Definitely agree that the spine can become "out of alignment", if you will, however, I have the belief that instead of getting "cracked" or "adjusted" every x weeks, one needs to figure out WHY this is happening for long-term benefits. Muscle imbalances, fascial restrictions, poor postures, etc. can all lead to pain. Assess and treat the WHY, not the WHAT (pain).

To answer the question: Yes. I fully believe that posture in everyday life can play a role in ones golf game. We generally sit in office chair at computers a lot, sleep with a flexed spine, eat with a flexed spine, etc. Do some "pull" exercises, working on scapular stability to pull your T-Spine out of excessive kyphosis.
 
Strengthen your core. No matter the reason. We sit a lot. Strengthen your core.

I agree 100% and I tell everyone I know if you're lazy and don't have time for any other workout just carry heavy objects around and up and down stairs for a bit each day. You'd be surprised how much this simple motion works all the stuff you need to help generate power in a golf swing. If you're more into working out I would google farmers walk. I love that exercise and trap cage jumps.
 
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Improving core strength and developing habits of movement that protect and strengthen your back, knees, and neck, will simply make life better. Developing a running gait that reduces the felt-impact of your knees and back, re-learning how we move, lift, and carry things, and, yes, understanding how our spine affects and is affected by our golf swing, are all really important. One because it makes our golf ball-striking better, and because it will help keep us healthy enough to play golf longer.
 
Definitely agree that the spine can become "out of alignment", if you will, however, I have the belief that instead of getting "cracked" or "adjusted" every x weeks, one needs to figure out WHY this is happening for long-term benefits. Muscle imbalances, fascial restrictions, poor postures, etc. can all lead to pain. Assess and treat the WHY, not the WHAT (pain).

To answer the question: Yes. I fully believe that posture in everyday life can play a role in ones golf game. We generally sit in office chair at computers a lot, sleep with a flexed spine, eat with a flexed spine, etc. Do some "pull" exercises, working on scapular stability to pull your T-Spine out of excessive kyphosis.

I tend to agree with you. My philosophy is to fix the joint instability in the spine and then promote more long term stability with core/posture exercises/stretches to help maximize the effects of an adjustment.

Are you a PT? Just wondering if the "PT" after your name was significant.
 
One thing my teacher told me last year was how important he believes it is to be constantly aware of your golf posture in everything you do. And, if you can incorporate your posture into your daily activities, do it. Whether shoveling snow, grocery shopping, putting gas in your car, or changing diapers, he believes if you are serious about the game, you need to be aware of and reinforce your golf muscles. I'll leave it to your imaginations to find other situations, but in general, he believes everything you do should be done in such a way that it reinforces the various aspects of the golf swing.
 
I tend to agree with you. My philosophy is to fix the joint instability in the spine and then promote more long term stability with core/posture exercises/stretches to help maximize the effects of an adjustment.

Are you a PT? Just wondering if the "PT" after your name was significant.

Yeah, I definitely side with your philosophy, too.
Yes, I am a PT.
 
I used to have really bad back problems (still some lingering pain) and I'm only 18 years old. I've found for me over the last few years that strength in my back has helped me more than anything.

If you don't have the muscles to support your back when swinging a club 115 mph, how could you possibly expect to not feel any pain?

I go to a chiropractor 2x a week and work on functional fitness 3-5x a week.
 
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