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Can playing golf with Spondylolisthesis do more damage

Posted by carlos72 @carlos72, Aug 10, 2023

Lot's to read, but I'm finding it difficult to get a straight anwer on this question. Generally the advice is to yes continue playing if it is important to you, but adopt a natural hands and arms swing, swing softly, and don't play when your back is inflammed. Question is: if you do play and your back is sore afterwards, and you do this repeatedly every weekend, are you doing more damage? Does it mean you are more likely to progress to the next stage of vertebra displacement? If there is a small chance that your condition can stabilizes as you get older, then is it not a good idea to give up golf completely? I'm stage one Spondy from visiting the driving range far too often. No matter what swing I adopt during a game of golf it most certainly let's me know about it for the rest of the week. I'm really scared that it may progress to stage 2.

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Sue, Volunteer Mentor | @sueinmn | Aug 10, 2023

Welcome to Mayo Connect, Carlos, where we are a community of patients and caregivers sharing our experiences and supporting one another. As to whether you are causing damage, only your doctor and imaging can tell you. This area is outside my usual area of replying, but my husband has had a diagnosis of spondlyolisthesis for almost 40 years. He doesn't golf, but has managed to stay strong so he can do what he wants (including paddleboard) with daily exercises prescribed by a Physical Therapist.

With any skeletal condition, one of the ways to help yourself is to be seen by a rehabilitation PT for evaluation and a custom course of stretches and exercises meant to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine. A little "limbering up" before you golf is not enough. You will need to do the exercises either daily or several times a week for life, but it can keep you going for a long, long time.

The second piece is to find a rehab golf coach (or PT who specializes in adapting golf swings) and learn how to golf safely with your limitations. For many years I played disc golf, and as my body aged and arthritis progressed, I had to learn to throw for accuracy, not distance. Good thing I was only a casual player, and not super competitive!

Have you tried specialized PT designed just for you? (Not one of the back clinics that have set exercises for everyone...) What coaching have you gotten to modify your swing and stance?
Sue

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carlos72 | @carlos72 | Aug 10, 2023

Thanks Sue. I basically just do the core exercises as seen on YouTube, and adopt a very low impact natural golf swing. I'll certainly conside your advice moving forward.

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Phil, Alumni Mentor | @upstatephil | Aug 15, 2023

Hi Carlos. I am 71 and had both cervical and lumbar surgeries this year. I have been a golfer 20+ years and experienced spondy pain and discomfort to some degree for years while playing. At times I had to stop to bend over or stretch my hamstrings to assist the pain in subsiding. For me, the golf didn't seem to relate much to spondy progression - but the answer isn't clear. "If it hurts - don't do it" - seems logical but I would have that discussion with a neurologist or neurosurgeon. My guess is - you can whack away without serious danger of accelerating your spondy. But again, I'm no medical doc!

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Twocoastsm | @marlenec | Aug 16, 2023
In reply to @sueinmn "Welcome to Mayo Connect, Carlos, where we are a community of patients and caregivers sharing our..." + (show)
@sueinmn

Welcome to Mayo Connect, Carlos, where we are a community of patients and caregivers sharing our experiences and supporting one another. As to whether you are causing damage, only your doctor and imaging can tell you. This area is outside my usual area of replying, but my husband has had a diagnosis of spondlyolisthesis for almost 40 years. He doesn't golf, but has managed to stay strong so he can do what he wants (including paddleboard) with daily exercises prescribed by a Physical Therapist.

With any skeletal condition, one of the ways to help yourself is to be seen by a rehabilitation PT for evaluation and a custom course of stretches and exercises meant to strengthen the muscles supporting your spine. A little "limbering up" before you golf is not enough. You will need to do the exercises either daily or several times a week for life, but it can keep you going for a long, long time.

The second piece is to find a rehab golf coach (or PT who specializes in adapting golf swings) and learn how to golf safely with your limitations. For many years I played disc golf, and as my body aged and arthritis progressed, I had to learn to throw for accuracy, not distance. Good thing I was only a casual player, and not super competitive!

Have you tried specialized PT designed just for you? (Not one of the back clinics that have set exercises for everyone...) What coaching have you gotten to modify your swing and stance?
Sue

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I have received PT for both lumbar Spondylolisthesis and knee arthritis via doctors’ prescriptions and thus paid for by Medicare. Ironically the place where I went for PT advertises as a “golf rehab” facility. I used to golf - badly - but haven’t since the pandemic. When I asked my spine surgeon (I haven’t had surgery) about golf he (who is an avid golfer) said the usual “ if it hurts don’t do it.” My problem now is that I’ve been discharged from medically based PT but due to my age (73,) my spine and knee issues, and osteopenia I just don’t trust a personal trainer - yet my PT facility doesn’t do general training, that is, formulating an appropriate exercise program that I can do at home. So I’m stuck with just my home PT program dedicated to knee and spine issues. Is there a way to get a PT with private pay to give me an exercise program? It seems that they’re only interested in insurance patients.

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