The Relationship Between Lead Hip Rotation and Low Back Pain in Golfers—A Pilot Investigation

Abstract

Reduced lead hip mobility has been proposed to be associated with low back pain (LBP) in golfing populations, although the literature is contradictory. This study aimed to clarify this relationship by recording the magnitude of hip rotation during the golf swing and a range of clinical assessments. Sixteen recreational male golfers (8 with a history of LBP and 8 age and anthropometrically matched controls) performed their golf drive with their hip movement recorded. Hip range of motion was also recorded in sitting, lying prone and standing and correlated to hip rotation during the golf drive. The LBP group demonstrated reduced lead hip internal rotation (LHIR) compared to those in the no pain (NP) group when using the prone passive and standing clinical measures (*p* \< .01), but not sitting. The prone passive measure of LHIR was moderate-strongly correlated to golf swing LHIR r = 0.560; *p* = .024. The LBP group had an average of 8° less LHIR during the golf swing than the NP group and were closer to end or range, although both were non-significant trends. These results may have implications for LBP prevention and rehabilitation strategies in golf populations.