Chiropractic Care for Nashville Golfers
The golf swing places complex demands on the spine, requiring coordinated flexion, extension, rotation, and side bend—all at high speed and under load. When spinal mobility or control is limited, golfers often experience pain, stiffness, or a loss of performance. This is where chiropractic care can play a powerful role.
At Integrated Rehab and Performance Center, we use chiropractic techniques with Nashville golfers not only to reduce golf- and exercise-related spine pain, but to restore the specific spinal mobility required for an efficient, repeatable golf swing. The key question is not if an adjustment helps—but where, why, and how it fits into a long-term plan that creates lasting change on and off the course.
What does the spine actually do in the golf swing?
By understanding what the spine needs to be able to do in the golf swing, we can assess for it. In the presence of pain AND dysfunction, the chiropractic adjustment becomes a great initial tool. But first, what does the spine do in the golf swing?
First, we flex. Think of your address position. There is a hinge at the hips, but also slight flexion through the vertebrae of the spine. Then, as we turn, the spine transitions from flexed the extended and tilted. This can be confusing. In the top of the back swing position, we are actually back into an extended position at the vertebrae with side bend (tilt). We have gradually traded flexion for tilt and extension through the process of the backswing. Because this happens at a 1-to-1 ratio, we don’t notice it happening. Interesting enough, but also very important. We just found that flexion AND rotation AND tilt AND extension are all vital movements from the spine during the backswing.
The same is true in the downswing, we transition (RAPIDLY) into opposite side tilt and back into flexion through the spine. We can all now imagine why low back pain is the most common problem for golfers. We ask a lot from the spine.
How to assess the spine for Nashville golfers
We need just about everything you can as from the spine in the process of the golf swing. So, we first just assess for general joint play. Is there a soft end feel and “play” to the vertebrae? Then, if there are restrictions, which plane of motion is being affected? This is when we assess the spine for flexion, extension, rotation, and tilt. These tests are done at different points in the initial exam through different functional tests.
Some parts of the spine may be restricted in flexion, others extension, and others still in rotation and tilt. These all need to be addressed specifically. Spinal manipulation or chiropractic adjustments are a great place to start for this. Soft tissue and other joint mobilizations can also be combined here to supplement this.
How do we integrate spine mobility back into the golf swing?
This is important. We must go beyond chiropractic and other hands-on techniques to drive stability and control through the spine. We also need to directly integrate these changes back into motor patterns and the golf swing. This is where we can use spinal stability, mobility, and motor control training and progressions to put the changes were making to work. Here are just a few of my favorite spinal strength and stability movements we use at Integrated Rehab and Performance Center…
DNS modified Oblique
This movement is fantastic at bringing rotation and control back to the spine from the lumbar vertebrae through the thoracic. We can play around with different positions at the hip to incorporate the posterior sling as much as we want, essentially creating the position of maximal load and stretch through the muscles at the pelvis while teaching the spine above it to turn without having access to compensation.
2. DNS tall bear
This position is great at working the spine through flexion and extension. We can challenge the low back to flex while the mid back must return to neutral extension, much harder for most than we may think. Having a clinician work you through this position to make corrections while you go can be crucial.
3. 3D band rotation
This move puts a few things together. We are now weight bearing, forcing the pelvis to turn over a stable femur, while maximizing hip and spine rotation in a tilted, golf posture position. This forces the spine to use its stabilizing capacity while working through a range of motion.
Conclusion
Golf places unique and demanding stresses on the spine, requiring precise amounts of flexion, extension, rotation, and side bend—often at high speed and under load. When even one segment of the spine loses mobility or control, pain, compensation, and performance limitations are quick to follow. For Nashville golfers, this is why a targeted, golf-specific approach to chiropractic care matters.
At Integrated Rehab and Performance Center, chiropractic adjustments are not used in isolation. They are applied with intent—based on a detailed assessment of how your spine actually needs to move in the golf swing—and then reinforced with mobility, stability, and motor control training that transfers directly back to your swing. This is how we create lasting change, not just short-term relief.
If you’re a golfer dealing with low back pain, stiffness, or loss of power, working with a Nashville chiropractor who understands the biomechanics of the golf swing can be a game changer. By restoring spinal motion, improving control, and integrating those gains into movement, you can swing more freely, reduce injury risk, and play better golf for years to come.
-Dr. Nick DC, MS, TPI, CSCS
If you would like to learn more about your body, pain, and performance, send Dr. Nick an email at contact@integratedrpc.com or call at (585)478-4379, or schedule a FREE discovery visit at Contact.
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