Results · Golf case study
From Managing Pain to Playing Pain-Free
A golfer in his 40s, a low back that showed up by the back nine, and a member tournament on the calendar. Here's how we got him there.
He was doing what most active golfers in their 40s and 50s are told to do: stay active, work out, stretch, and keep moving.
But every time he tried to train consistently or play more golf, the same problems returned. Tight hips. An aching low back. A stiff golf swing. By the back nine, he was thinking more about his back than his next shot.
And he had a member tournament coming up that he wanted to be ready for.
The problem wasn't just his back
His initial evaluation showed something we see frequently in golfers: his painful low back was being asked to compensate for areas that weren't moving well.
He lacked important mobility through his hips and lumbar spine, limiting his ability to rotate and load efficiently during both exercise and the golf swing.
Instead of simply treating where it hurt, we built a plan around restoring the movement his body was missing.
Phase 1: restore movement
We started with hands-on treatment to improve joint and soft-tissue mobility, combined with targeted corrective exercises and mobility drills.
The goal wasn't just temporary pain relief. We wanted him to move differently.
As his hip and spinal mobility improved, we progressed into golf-specific rotational drills and exercises designed to help him control his new range of motion.
Phase 2: build strength that transfers to golf
Once he was moving better and his symptoms settled, treatment transitioned toward strength and conditioning.
We progressively added lower-body strength, rotational control, core stability, power, and conditioning so his body could tolerate not just a few pain-free swings, but an entire round of golf.
That distinction matters. Being pain-free on the treatment table is one thing. Being strong enough to walk onto the first tee, swing confidently for 18 holes, and still feel good coming down the stretch is another.
The result
He completed his full member tournament pain-free.
More importantly, he came away with a stronger, more mobile body and a better understanding of how to train for the demands of golf.
At PT Progression, that's the goal: not simply getting you out of pain, but building a body capable of doing more of what you love.
Golf shouldn't be something your body has to survive. Let's build a body that's ready to play.
Golfers: start with a screen
Tell a TPI-certified Doctor of Physical Therapy what your body does by the back nine. We'll tell you what's limiting the swing and what to do about it.