Common Golf Injuries, Explained

The lower back is the single most commonly injured area, involved in around a quarter of all golf injuries. It is followed by the elbow, wrist and hand, shoulder, and the hip and knee. Most are overuse injuries rather than one-off accidents.

It is the most common golf complaint by a clear margin. Published studies report lower back pain in roughly 15 to 34 percent of amateur golfers and 22 to 24 percent of professionals, and it accounts for about 25 percent of all golf injuries.

The swing loads the lower back with fast rotation, side-bend and compression, hundreds of times a week. When the hips or upper back cannot rotate enough, the lower back is forced to make up the difference, which is what tips it into pain.

Both are highly exposed, but a large review found lifetime injury rates of roughly 74 percent in professionals and 57 percent in amateurs. Professionals tend to get overuse injuries from high practice volume, while amateur injuries more often come from technique faults and muscle imbalances.

Elbow injuries make up close to a quarter of the injuries reported by amateur golfers, compared with around 10 percent among professionals. Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) is one of the most common, driven by grip force and swing mechanics.

Golfer's elbow is pain on the inside of the elbow; tennis elbow is the same problem on the outside. Golfers get both, and in right-handed players golfer's elbow tends to affect the trail arm while tennis elbow tends to affect the lead arm.

The lead wrist (the left wrist for a right-handed golfer) absorbs a lot of force at impact and through the hinge of the swing. Repeated load, heavy or fat shots, and a technique that overloads the wrist are the usual causes.

Often yes, in a modified way. Part of a good assessment is working out how much load your body can safely handle right now, so you can keep playing where it is sensible while the injury is managed.

It depends on the tissue and how long the problem has been there. Many settle noticeably within a few weeks of the right treatment, while tendon problems such as golfer's elbow take longer because the tendon has to rebuild its capacity.

Usually not. Most golf injuries can be diagnosed and managed from a thorough physical assessment, and scans often show age-related changes unrelated to the pain. A physiotherapist can advise if imaging is genuinely needed.

Warm up the hips and upper back before you play, build rotational mobility and strength in the off-season, manage your practice volume, and address technique faults that overload one area. A golf-specific screen shows exactly where your risk sits.

See someone if pain is sharp, keeps returning each round, is getting worse, or comes with leg or arm symptoms such as pins and needles, numbness or weakness. Early assessment usually means a faster, more complete recovery.