I Have Lower Back Pain When I Golf and It Shoots Down Into My Leg

Lower back pain that shoots down into your leg during golf can feel like a sharp, burning, or pulling pain when your swing irritates a nerve in your lower back.

If your lower back starts hurting during your golf swing and the pain travels into your buttock or down your leg, you may notice that certain swings make it much worse than simply walking around. The pain can feel like a sharp grab in your lower back followed by a shooting sensation that runs farther down your leg.

You may also notice that the problem builds as you play rather than appearing on every swing immediately. Repeated bending, rotation, and swinging can keep aggravating an already sensitive lower back, so the pain may become more noticeable later in the round or after you finish playing.

The Swing Triggers A Sharp Pain That Travels Down Your Leg

Your back may suddenly grab as you turn through the swing, followed by pain that travels into your leg.

You might feel the pain most strongly when you bend over to address the ball, rotate through the backswing, or turn forcefully into the follow-through. When the lower back is already irritated, these repeated movements can aggravate a nearby nerve and make the pain travel rather than staying in one spot.

The Pain Becomes More Noticeable As Your Round Continues

Your lower back may start tolerable but become more painful and harder to ignore after repeated swings.

You may feel relatively comfortable during the first few holes and then notice more pulling, aching, or shooting pain as you continue playing. Sitting between shots, riding in a golf cart, or standing up after the round can also make your back and leg feel stiff before the symptoms settle again.

Why Your Lower Back Keeps Shooting Pain Into Your Leg

Your lower back has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your lower back feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Lower Back Feel Better

Your lower back starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my lower back hurt and shoot down my leg when I golf?

Golf can repeatedly bend and rotate your lower back, which may aggravate an irritated nerve and cause pain to travel from your back into your leg.

Why does my leg hurt after golfing when my back hurts?

When your lower back is irritated, a nearby nerve can become aggravated and cause pain to travel into your buttock or leg during or after golf.

Why does my lower back pain get worse as I play golf?

Repeated swings can continue stressing an already sensitive lower back, making the pain more noticeable as your round continues.

Can a golf swing cause lower back pain that shoots into your leg?

Yes. Repeated bending and rotation during golf can aggravate the lower back and contribute to pain that travels into the leg.

When should I get help for lower back pain shooting down my leg?

Persistent, severe, worsening, or recurring pain that shoots down your leg should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.