Upper Back Pain from Golf Swing
It’s frustrating when pain gets in the way of your game.
Upper back pain that happens during your golf swing can be coming from multiple areas. Your upper back includes your thoracic spine, scapulae (shoulder blades), and your rib cage. All of these bones have muscles that are attached to them, allowing you to move your body.
What the Golf Swing Does to Your Upper Back
In order for you to swing a golf club your upper back has to have the proper range of motion and strength. Let’s list what has to happen at each structure for a right handed golf swing:
Anatomy of the Upper Back
Your thoracic paraspinal muscles that run along your back, your rotator cuff and lat muscles that move your shoulder, rhomboids, upper, middle, and lower trap muscles that move your scapulae, and intercostal muscles that move your ribs need to be functioning properly to execute your swing.
Here is a photo taken from the Visible Body App to show how many muscles and connections exist in your upper back:
Common Causes of Upper Back Pain in Golfers
Upper back pain in golfers can be caused by multiple problems including:
Decreased low back mobility
Decreased shoulder mobility
Weakness in the upper back musculature
Overuse injury to the upper back musculature
Hypomobility in upper back (thoracic spine)
Any of the above issues can cause compensations in the body to continue to allow you to be able to swing a golf club. I always say, “the body works smarter, not harder!” The body will take the path of least resistance to perform the task at hand.
Muscle Tightness vs. Something More Serious
It is important to differentiate between a musculoskeletal issue and a more serious medical issue. A physical therapist has a doctorate level degree that gives them the knowledge to accurately determine if something is musculoskeletal in nature or needs to be treated by a different medical professional.
Some red flags that should not be mistaken for muscle tightness:
Pain around the left shoulder that may also radiate down the arm or to the jaw
Constant pain that does not change with movement
Numbness and/or tingling down the arms
The Role of Rotation and Where Compensation Happens
Rotation occurs at the upper back to help you move through a golf swing. Rotation is what twists your back from right to left, or vice versa.
If your upper back doesn’t have the mobility or the strength to rotate, your shoulders and low back may pick up the slack. =
The same thing goes for if your shoulders or low back aren’t functioning optimally– your upper back will have to compensate and work overtime.
How to Tell If Rest Is Enough
Working with a PT is key to determining the best recovery plan for upper back pain. A PT will help modify the work load of golf to meet your body’s capacity as you are recovering.
Where to Find Physical Therapy for Golfers in Meredith NH
If you are local to the Lakes Region of New Hampshire and are interested in working together to address pain with your golf swing, book a discovery call or eval to get started with sports-specific physical therapy treatment today!
My clinic is conveniently located in Meredith, NH and I also work out of Bald Peak Country Club during the Summer. I’d love to work with you!