The Back Pain Boomerang
It's back.
Freddie wishes it would just go away.
The back pain boomerang circled around about one year later to knock Freddie Couples out of the Scottish Open on July 13, 2006. "I couldn't have even walked down the first fairway, let alone play," Couples said. "Every time I get up I feel like I'm going to fall down. It's not very good." (source: USA Today). Not very good? I'd say it's awful.
Back pain is a problem best fixed by understanding it first. All back pain is not created equal. The pain can come from a herniated disc, sprained or torn ligaments, irritated tendons, or overloaded bone (not to mention a number of other reasons for back pain that require medical attention like tumors, kidney disease or a dissecting aorta), or a combination of all of these things. This is why many clinicians throw up their hands in frustration, treat the symptoms and pray; why many clients throw in the towel and quit.
Solving back pain is never just one thing. It's never a quick fix, a jiggle here, a stretch there, a pill, a rub, a needle or two, some heat or some cold. A quick fix is how you launch the boomerang. Solving back pain requires you to look closely at all the elements and address each one.
I have written about this problem before. The elements to solving back pain are the same:
- heal the tissue
- re-establish motion
- improve balance and reaction time
- maximize strength
All golfers know the numbers of their game. Freddie can tell you exactly how far he hits a 7 iron, a 3 wood and his average putts per round. But, I'll bet he cannot tell you the strength of his hips or the key core muscles of his trunk, or his flexibility, or his endurance, or his balance. I'll bet Freddie has been playing back pain roulette - feels good after a bit and gives golf a go. Maybe he thinks to himself, "Well, I feel pretty good and I seem stronger so I think I'll play 18 holes today." This what most people with back pain do. When they feel good to go, they think they are good to go. Not true. Not unless you know your numbers.
Numbers, measurements of key functions of the body, tell you if what you're feeling matches up against what your body can actually do. For example, let's assume Freddie's back feels good one day after some type of treatment. We measure his hip strength and find it's low. Since your back and your hips work together to control and distribute the forces of the golf swing, having strong hips is a must. Golfers with weak hips and trunk muscles tend to have back trouble partly due to the inability to handle the force of the swing*. So, if we let Freddie play before his numbers indicate he's ready, what do you suppose will happen? Right. The back pain boomerang knocks him out of a tournament.
When you feel better is the time to find out if you really are better. Otherwise, duck. The boomerang is on its way.
Doug Kelsey
Former Member, Backpain Boomerang Society
