Hello all of you...

Has anyone else had torn/bulging/herniated disc problems? I recently had awful pain and hospital time for a back-disc problems which aggravated the sciatic(sp?) nerve. (I don't wish the pain on my worst enemies!)

I am a month into recovery and am wondering if other players have had similar injuries? If so, how have you dealt with the pain/recovery and the all-important... getting yourself onto the course and playing golf?

thanks, miguel

Before I started playing golf I had compressed a disk and its always bothered me. I could hardly sit up in a chair and morning were a 15-30 minute exercise in pain tolerance until I got enough flexibility through strecthing to be able to move around. Since I picked up a disc a year ago all of that has gone completely away. My doctor was flabbergasted to say the least. Granted I have also lost alot of weight in the process of playing which will most certainly help my back but it has definitely strengthened the muscles and helped decrease the stress on the spine. For me disc golf has been the wonder cure and its fun to boot so I take great pride in telling the physical therapist to bugger oiff :)

I once had a bulging disc pressing against somebody else's spine. Does that count?

Hello all of you...

Has anyone else had torn/bulging/herniated disc problems? I recently had awful pain and hospital time for a back-disc problems which aggravated the sciatic(sp?) nerve. (I don't wish the pain on my worst enemies!)

I am a month into recovery and am wondering if other players have had similar injuries? If so, how have you dealt with the pain/recovery and the all-important... getting yourself onto the course and playing golf?

thanks, miguel



Well I'm turning 30 this year and had back surgery when I was 22 for herniated disc L5/S1. The best thing you can do is strengthen your abs and back muscles and keep your weight down(something I have a problem with). Honestly my back still bothers me almost daily but with a good warmup routine and proper rehab after the surgery I was back to normal activities in about 3 months. Stretch out and warm up and be careful. I fully understand the pain and agree completely with your comments on it, nerve pain in the leg SUCKS!!!

Good luck

Lower back pain is quite frequently caused by hamstrings being too tight. They pull against the gluts and the lower back as well as the hip bones.

Be sure to properly stretch the hamstrings before and after any extended time on the course. Next to the shoulders, the hamstrings (back of the legs) are the most worked by disc golf.

Sciatic nerve imflammation really stinks! It is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. I had a bout with it probably 10 years ago. The only thing that will fix it is time.

You need to be doing what your doctor is probably telling you to do. Heat, stretching the back and back of you legs (hamstrings) and strengthing the abs. Crunches not sit ups.

Anit-inflammitories like ibuprofin do work. Be sure you are taking them with food. A stiff gin and tonic worked wonders. No wonder people turn to alcohol. It's a constant nagging pain, and a stiff drink helped.... maybe too well....

I found walking really helped. It gets you up and around. It also helps to tone the abs. Don't do too much too soon. Make sure the back is fixed before going full out playing disc golf.

I suffered a badly herniated L4-L5 disc at Christmastime in 2000. I had weakness and paralysis in my left leg and foot and really bad nerve pain in my leg.

Your doctor will send you to physical therapy. Do what the physical therapists say to do.

You can recover. You can recover and play again. Avoid surgery if you can.

When you can throw try to learn a smoother, weaker, whippier form. Most men try to throw strong and hard. Work towards weak but whippy.

Did great with my chronic pain problems until turning 50 and things kind of caught up with me - an Intervetebral microdiscectomy and lateral meniscal cartilage repair in a six month period. The last of those was two years ago and I have pretty much been playing steadily throughout. Some discomfort, some real pain, some modification of technique to fit my body.........., but still playing.

As Anita said, abdomenal tone is just as important as regular stretching, and as important as either of those is listening to what your body tells you. That doesn't necessarily mean not playing, but playing obeying limitations. And if you can't enjoy playing with those limitations then it does mean not playing for a while. Dealing with physical maladies and their restrictions can be depressing. Fortunately for disc golfers not many sports are more antidepressive and more forgiving of physical restrictions, but still having fun. And for me, that's pretty much the point. :)

Dude, I just got back to playing after taking 6 months off due to a pinched nerve in my right arm (my throwing arm) which was caused by a bulging disc in my neck, between C6 and C7. I rested, took advil and antiinflammatories, and did the exercises I learned in PT. Don't rush back. Believe me, there were times, I thought I would never be able to play again. Just be patient and allow your body time to recover and recoup. You'll be back on a course before you know it. I was back playing 2 weeks and I had a hole in one. I could not believe it. Good luck with your recovery.

Hey all,

Thanks for the encouraging and cautionary advice/comments. All of your ideas (er.. well maybe not Annehyzer's cryptic comment) are helpful and reassuring. It would be so easy to just get on the course and start throwing, (and it is taking a great deal of willpower, not to do this!) but, hearing from people who have dealt with similar problems has been great. .

Hey 25322...I wish your story was the norm. Imagine playing disc golf as therapy.

scaii... good idea to use warm-up. I typically (and stupidly) forego thorough warm-up and stretching before throwing a round. Not anymore.

KC... I hadn't thought much about the hamstrings, but my PT has me doing alot of hamstring work. Thanks for the comment.

Anita... I agree on the gin and tonics therapy. But, you are right walking is very helpful.

Bruce... I hear what you are saying about altering the throw. I had been working on a whippier, smoother throw. I guess I'll continue.

Riverdog... lovely to hear that disc golf is an antidepressive sport. Both physically and mentally, right?

screamindan... congrats on the ace after such a long time off the course. And, thanks for the note of caution.

iowatreebasher(aka miguel)

Sometimes when Im sitting and I move to get up, my back will hurt so bad I stop in my tracks. I dont know if its from playing golf or what but it sure does hurt. Its like a stabbing pain I guess and I have to just stop a minute and then it slowly goes away, any thoughts???

Its from getting your butt grabbed by other male golfers too many times..stay away from Miami Subs and Andy's...but you do have a cute tushy...

Thank you very much but I wanna keep my tushy cute so I gotta have the back to stick it out like I do..... sweetie ;)

Aspirin or ibuprofen....

So now that you got the back trouble satisfied, has anyone every dislocated their shoulder from disc golf? I can't say it is totally responsible but I throw hard and think it at least contributed. It is not a total dislocation, but it keeps sliding out and I have to relax and wait for it to go back in. I have never had any trouble like this before. I am devistated that I may not be able to play for a while. I have only been playing for about 7months and my game is good for that amount of time I have been playing. I just don't know what to do without disc golf, I play 4 to 5 times a week. Its like freakin therapy or something. Any words..............?