THE NEW BACKACHE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 133, 2 December 1937, Page 32

THE NEW BACKACHE

THE SWING DOES IT

A member of the'"Sunday Express" staff went to a famous blind osteopath' with plumbago /'pain 'recently.' ; '■'. The.] osteopath;; said ;tpf;Ji|rn (jjuizzically: " ; "Been; playing "Yes," ' said.; the "Sufiday Express" man, "but why do.yq'u ask?" ■ ' "Oh!" said' the osteopath;.:"golf provides rrie, and1 most of/the others who do this' work, with more. cases than any other game. -. '; :: .-', ■ "I know practically, nothing about golf. I have never sedn it played, but in my view, from.my experience, golf is very,bad for you. "Many golfers come to me every week complaining of lumbago or sciatic pains.. Actually,'they, have neither, but they■- have Strained ; certain body joints through the igolf swing. "This is what happens. ..■. Betweeh the finish of the ribs and pelvis lies a most important area containing two little joints which we call the sacroiliac. This area, unlike, the upper part of the body, which rests upon bones, is supported only by mucles. and on these we get the greatest strain. "When swinging, many golfers twist the sacrum bone round between the two side bones and get. a/fixation at the extreme of the movement which causes an acute lumbago-like'pain. We restore the joint to", its-proper position. Then ■ off the golfers go and do the damage all '■ over; -again. HARMFUL. "The walking and fresh air which one gets at golf ate, of course, excellent, but the fixed swinging in golf is definitely harmful. "This golf strain chiefly affects elderly golfers whose bodies have already strained ; the" lumbar region by sagging, but I 'find ;yqunger men suffering as well. ■..•,.?■•■■.';.' "Tennis players • and;' cricketers do not get the same'strain because their strokes are varied. -,- "Many motorists suffer.a similar back aching injury through constantly stretching out their feet to press down the pedals. If they were able to keep the knees completely bent they would not get "it." '■ "" ... '■■ ~'. Henry Cotton, when "asked his' view, said: "I have; never heard of such "a complaint. I' don't think golfers are more likely to strain themselves than any other sportsmen."..'"'-. But George Gaddfsaid: .''l 'think it's quite likely that sortie golfers suffer from what the osteopath describes. It is feasible that it should occur among weekend golfers who pay more attention to ,the exercise than,: they; do; to playing good golf. They -may' get •it through hitting too ; hard." .