Help me swing without pain, with a bad back

[trapsmv15]

Hey all,

 

I've posted my own threads on here before about my leg and pain issues, but never quite thought to ask a question like this. I'll say sorry in advance for the long post.

 

Back home now from my first ever steroid injections for my back. Hoping to feel a reduction in pain in 5 days or so (what I was told, anyway). My main issue in golf is my bad health: first had back pain when I was 16/17, and I'm now 28; I have an over-curve in my lumbar spine as well as multi-level disc degeneration throughout, assumed juvenile disc disease by my current doctors and MRI assessors, and an annular tear in my L5/S1 that we'll consider surgery on if two rounds of injections don't work at all.

 

Combine the back stuff with a weak left leg and constant pain as residual effects from an autoimmune disorder, and it's hard to play the game. So, I'm trying to stick with a method that best suits me to just play, even if the 6 iron stays at 150 and driver 210 that I'm at now. I like to play a little draw and have been going off Manuel de la Torre's book lately. Before the illness a few years ago, I was a Ballard lateral shift guy. I'm fine with changing shot shape and start lines if it helps my body get through a round.

 

I ask "if I need to stay in flexion" because I was told by the doctor that performed the injections that stretches in flexion should be okay for me, but he specifically mentioned flexion in contradiction to extension (as in, for me, flexion was decent or acceptable while extension was bad, if that makes more sense). I'm only 5'5" and a stocky build at 215. I'm overweight, but I'm not obese - it's my maternal grandfather's fault; exact same build as he had! - and I possess only average flexibility now and average or weak strength due to the autoimmune disorder.

 

Do the good folks around here in the forums agree with that flexion suggestion, at least in relation to the golf swing? I know that staying in flexion on the downswing was harped on as bad during the S&T prime days. I've also read and heard Mike Adams' stuff, as well as Jim Suttie, that suggests a bad back person to use the S swing (the LAWs "width swing" adjusted for a draw) or that severe cases should set up closed with a narrow flared stance, turn everything back together and low, hinging the wrists, then feel of coming OTT on the downswing, for me on the turned shoulder plane, my natural plane. Martin Hall suggests similar: aim right, come inside then out around it, and play a pull.

 

I guess I'm just confused as to what physiologically makes sense. Do I go back to a lateral shift swing, do I turn everything back together, do I stick with just swinging the club with my hands and arms? What would the experts here do with a hypothetical student such as me? The goal is as little pain as possible from the back because we can't fix the other pain, only manage it with medication.

 

Help! lol

[Jim Waldron]

[quote name='trapsmv15' timestamp='1438820095' post='12086118']
Hey all,

I've posted my own threads on here before about my leg and pain issues, but never quite thought to ask a question like this. I'll say sorry in advance for the long post.

Back home now from my first ever steroid injections for my back. Hoping to feel a reduction in pain in 5 days or so (what I was told, anyway). My main issue in golf is my bad health: first had back pain when I was 16/17, and I'm now 28; I have an over-curve in my lumbar spine as well as multi-level disc degeneration throughout, assumed juvenile disc disease by my current doctors and MRI assessors, and an annular tear in my L5/S1 that we'll consider surgery on if two rounds of injections don't work at all.

Combine the back stuff with a weak left leg and constant pain as residual effects from an autoimmune disorder, and it's hard to play the game. So, I'm trying to stick with a method that best suits me to just play, even if the 6 iron stays at 150 and driver 210 that I'm at now. I like to play a little draw and have been going off Manuel de la Torre's book lately. Before the illness a few years ago, I was a Ballard lateral shift guy. I'm fine with changing shot shape and start lines if it helps my body get through a round.

I ask the question above because I was told by the doctor that performed the injections that stretches in flexion should be okay for me, but [i]he specifically mentioned flexion in contradiction to extension[/i] (as in, [u]for me[/u], flexion was decent or acceptable while extension was bad, if that makes more sense). I'm only 5'5" and a stocky build at 215. I'm overweight, but I'm not [i]obese[/i] - it's my maternal grandfather's fault; exact same build as he had! - and I possess only average flexibility now and average or weak strength due to the autoimmune disorder.

Do the good folks around here in the forums agree with that flexion suggestion, at least in relation to the golf swing? I know that staying in flexion on the downswing was harped on as bad during the S&T prime days. I've also read and heard Mike Adams' stuff, as well as Jim Suttie, that suggests a bad back person to use the S swing (the LAWs "width swing" adjusted for a draw) or that severe cases should set up closed with a narrow flared stance, turn everything back together and low, hinging the wrists, then feel of coming OTT on the downswing, for me on the turned shoulder plane, my natural plane. Martin Hall suggests similar: aim right, come inside then out around it, and play a pull.

I guess I'm just confused as to what physiologically makes sense. Do I go back to a lateral shift swing, do I turn everything back together, do I stick with just swinging the club with my hands and arms? What would the experts here do with a hypothetical student such as me? The goal is as little pain as possible [u]from the back[/u] because we can't fix the other pain, only manage it with medication.

Help! lol
[/quote]

Best to ask your doc for clarification to be on the safe side. But with any kind of disc issues, they are generally talking about lumbar spine flexion and extension, NOT the same thing as hip flexion and extension.

[trapsmv15]

[quote name='Jim Waldron' timestamp='1438821173' post='12086220']
Best to ask your doc for clarification to be on the safe side. But with any kind of disc issues, they are generally talking about lumbar spine flexion and extension, NOT the same thing as hip flexion and extension.
[/quote]
My time with this doctor was rather short, unfortunately, and I was distracted the burning needle. I have a follow up in two weeks that I'll be sure to ask during. Goes to show that I should have taken A&P classes!