S Posture and Low Back Pain in Golfers

 What is It?

 S Posture

 S posture is easy to spot. Take a look at your set up posture in the mirror, or observe that of others. The spine makes pronounced “S” shape from the tail bone to the base of the skull. It can be prevalent in varying degrees, and it will be visible when standing up right. If you have a pronounced sway back or lumbar lordosis and a rounded upper back you have the pattern of muscle imbalances that create this posture.

 S posture is also known lower crossed syndrome.  It is characterized by tight and shortened hip flexors and low back muscles, combined with weak and elongated lower abdominals and glutes. The abdomen protrudes as a result and the butt appears flat. When the glutes are not working properly the low back extensors and the hamstrings are recruited to do their job.  This dysfunction puts undue stress on the low back.

 This pattern of a grouping of short, tight muscles with weak, elongated opposing muscle groups is what results from prolonged static postures – in this case sitting at a desk all day at work.  The tight muscles (hip flexors/lumbar extensors) inhibit the firing of the opposing muscles – in this case the lower abdominals and the glutes do not function properly. When these muscles cannot contract effectively we develop poor control of the position of our pelvis and the stabilization of our lumbar spine as a result. When we add the rotational forces of the golf swing and the shear forces they create to this problem the low back on the trail side hip is at high risk on injury.

Caution

 A word of warning - many golfers are taught to stick their butt out at address. This in fact can create an excessive arching of the lower back – essentially S posture. The lumbar spine is very unstable in this position and is at risk of injury as a result. It is better to teach a golfer how to set the pelvis in neutral to get a neutral spine at set up. From here you must learn to hinge from the hips to get into address if you want to maintain the stability you created in the lumbar spine, and to protect the low back. Remember – neutral pelvis, neutral spine, hinge from the hips….