Japan Golf Trip Ended Golf Season in Injury

[Nave]

Hey all,

been off the greens for a while. I made a golf trip to Japan and teed it up at Ashinoko Country Club - great views of the ocean and Mount Fuji in the distance. But on the third hole I badly injured my hip flexor and groin on an iron swing, and at the same time my lower back seized up trying to compensate for the strain (all on the right side). The combo pain hit so hard I couldn’t even walk for a few days.

It’s been two months of rest and rehab, but the irritation keeps flaring up. I’ve got another doctor’s appointment coming up to see if something is pinched and to figure out next steps. Staying optimistic, but it’s been a tough setback.

Anyone else ever deal with this kind of combo injury? How did you get through recovery, and how long did it take you to go back to playing again?

Thank you!

[iacas]

First, I'm sorry to hear that. Especially that it happened on a golf trip. That all stinks.

Second… I don't have much more to add, as I've (knock on wood) not had that kind of injury. I've had some others, but not that stuff.

[boogielicious]

I’ve been battling a left SI joint injury for over a year. It started with injuring my hip, but compensating for that hurt my SI. I’ve done a year of PT. It got better for a while then flared up again. I’m going to try an injection into the SI next. It’s very frustrating. 

I would recommend continuing with your PT but see if the Dr will do other remedies.

[Nave]

On 8/24/2025 at 4:41 AM, boogielicious said:

I’ve been battling a left SI joint injury for over a year.

Thanks for your feedback. It sounds like these types of injuries take a while to heal. I hope you fully recover, soon.

[Nave]

Looks like I’m out for the rest of the year. Unlikely I’ll be pain-free or strong enough in 3–4 months. I’ll still use my member credit rounds to join my buddy, but I’ll skip tee shots and fairways, just chip and put.

[Nave]

First visit to a chiropractor today. He literally pulled my leg in an abrupt motion, which released pressure on the hip and eased the compressed muscles and nerves. He said he "released my hip". The sharp lower back pain disappeared. I’m still sore, but I can move more freely. Not ready to play or swing yet, but the relief was real.

[saevel25]

8 hours ago, Nave said:

First visit to a chiropractor today. He literally pulled my leg in an abrupt motion, which released pressure on the hip and eased the compressed muscles and nerves. He said he "released my hip". The sharp lower back pain disappeared. I’m still sore, but I can move more freely. Not ready to play or swing yet, but the relief was real.

I would be careful with this. It might have decompressed the area, but it usually isn't a solution. If the solution is, physical therapy, getting the muscles stronger, getting better mobility, getting your body to move in the correct way in life and in golf so you do not get flare ups, then a chiropractor is not the solution but a temporary alleviation of pain. Which is good, because it could jump start wanting to do PT.

This comes from a guy who goes to a chiropractor. 

Did you get a doctor's evaluation of the issue? 

[iacas]

42 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

I would be careful with this. It might have decompressed the area, but it usually isn't a solution. If the solution is, physical therapy, getting the muscles stronger, getting better mobility, getting your body to move in the correct way in life and in golf so you do not get flare ups, then a chiropractor is not the solution but a temporary alleviation of pain. Which is good, because it could jump start wanting to do PT.

This comes from a guy who goes to a chiropractor. 

Did you get a doctor's evaluation of the issue? 

I think it's more like when I f***ed up my SI joint (I'm pretty sure it's when I jumped down holding a moderately heavy camera from a 4' tall railing while taking photos of my daughter when she was turning 18 — the next day "you're all twisted up" my wife said, and it took 3 minutes to walk to the bathroom because two of those minutes were spent getting out of the chair).

Anyway, I did some big stretches and really tried to almost be my own chiropractor and pull the joints and things around to get them to "reset" or maybe even "re-seat" and by the early evening, I was almost completely fine, to the point where I canceled the appointment I'd made the next day.

Long-term, if it keeps happening, yes, do the things you said. But this sounds like it may have been an acute thing and "popping" something out or back in place or something could have been the true fix.

[ChetlovesMer]

On 8/24/2025 at 12:39 AM, Nave said:

Hey all,

been off the greens for a while. I made a golf trip to Japan and teed it up at Ashinoko Country Club - great views of the ocean and Mount Fuji in the distance. But on the third hole I badly injured my hip flexor and groin on an iron swing, and at the same time my lower back seized up trying to compensate for the strain (all on the right side). The combo pain hit so hard I couldn’t even walk for a few days.

It’s been two months of rest and rehab, but the irritation keeps flaring up. I’ve got another doctor’s appointment coming up to see if something is pinched and to figure out next steps. Staying optimistic, but it’s been a tough setback.

Anyone else ever deal with this kind of combo injury? How did you get through recovery, and how long did it take you to go back to playing again?

Thank you!

I've never had this particular thing. I do have a nerve issue in my back that occasionally flares up. One time it happened to me getting up off the throne. ... How embarrassing. "I hurt my back standing up aver making a movement." is never a phrase a grown man should utter.

I can do decompression exercises and it goes away. The same exercises will work as a prevention for me. 

Good luck to you. I really hope you can get this fixed/corrected. 

[saevel25]

On 9/10/2025 at 10:05 AM, iacas said:

Anyway, I did some big stretches and really tried to almost be my own chiropractor and pull the joints and things around to get them to "reset" or maybe even "re-seat" and by the early evening, I was almost completely fine, to the point where I canceled the appointment I'd made the next day.

Long-term, if it keeps happening, yes, do the things you said. But this sounds like it may have been an acute thing and "popping" something out or back in place or something could have been the true fix.

Good point

3 hours ago, ChetlovesMer said:

ow embarrassing. "I hurt my back standing up aver making a movement." is never a phrase a grown man should utter.

I can do decompression exercises and it goes away. The same exercises will work as a prevention for me. 

Good luck to you. I really hope you can get this fixed/corrected. 

I was this diner with some friends for brunch. I think I moved like a 1mm and my entire lower back seized up. 🤣

Sneezes are dangerous as well. 

For me, doing hip mobility, back mobility, hamstring stretches, calf stretches at least every other day has made me much more limber and I have been doing well for over 2 years now. I think my tight posterior chain was just putting me out of alignment. I can tell when I walk if I am tight. My hips don't flow naturally when I walk. I know it is time to do some mobility work. 

[Nave]

On 9/10/2025 at 6:20 AM, saevel25 said:

It might have decompressed the area, but it usually isn't a solution.

Makes sense. Sounds like you’ve seen firsthand how it can give temporary relief. Yes, the real fix is strength and mobility - which I am now taking up in the form of Pilates on the reformer... the bonus is that it is one of the things my wife enjoys doing with me.

 

On 9/11/2025 at 6:40 AM, ChetlovesMer said:

I do have a nerve issue in my back that occasionally flares up. One time it happened to me getting up

That’s rough. Crazy how fast those flare-ups can come and go, and how the body can sometimes reset itself.

 

On 9/11/2025 at 10:21 AM, saevel25 said:

my entire lower back seized up

Ouch, that sounds brutal. Glad you figured out mobility work that keeps things in check over time.

-------------------

After my first adjustment, I felt great for three days before the tightness returned. At my second appointment, he repeated the same move but with more force, explaining he held back the first time since my body was too injured for a full adjustment. It appears that chiropractors often start conservatively, then increase intensity as the body adapts. This time the relief was much stronger.

The real issue is years of desk work and poor training habits that left me with tight hip flexors and weak supporting muscles. When I improved my swing with more speed and range, those neglected areas became the bottleneck.

Now I’m facing about three months of healing, then another three to five months of priming with mobility and strength work to build a stronger “golfer’s core” around it.

All I can do for now is putting at home, slow-motion work in front of the mirror, and maybe some light chipping in the backyard.
... and Pilates.

[boogielicious]

@Nave. If it is your sacroiliac joint that is injured, you need to strengthen the glutes specifically to stabilize the area. Pilates and core strengthening will help, but doing area specific exercises will improve things faster. Examples my PT had me doing are

1. Side steps with band around the knees (squat down a bit when doing these).
2. Goblet squats.
3. Leg press with feet higher on the press plate to isolate the glutes.
4. Single leg rear step downs. Slow count and hold on to something in front of you to isolate the glutes.
5. Single leg RDLs
6. Rear leg lifts with ankle weights lying face down or standing using the band around the knees.
7. Adductor press (my PT had me do this pressing a small yoga ball against the wall one leg at a time in a slight squat position). You can do it with the knee bands too. I do a 10 second hold with 5 second rest for 2 minutes. You may need to start 5 on 5 off and work up.

I do these full sets 3 times a week as part of my workouts.

There is also a way to self re-align the SI.

 

[Nave]

On 9/19/2025 at 3:48 AM, boogielicious said:

I do these full sets 3 times a week as part of my workouts.

There is also a way to self re-align the SI.

These exercises are super helpful. I just finished a full workout exactly as you suggested, and I already feel better - thank you for sharing. I try to do these along with my other workouts at least three times a week. When I took a few days off, I noticed the pain came back quickly, which tells me that area is still weak. Hope you’re doing well.

[boogielicious]

12 hours ago, Nave said:

These exercises are super helpful. I just finished a full workout exactly as you suggested, and I already feel better - thank you for sharing. I try to do these along with my other workouts at least three times a week. When I took a few days off, I noticed the pain came back quickly, which tells me that area is still weak. Hope you’re doing well.

Remember to stretch too after doing the exercises. After you do these a while the glutes and hip flexors can become tight. Foam rolling also helps.

[billchao]

On 9/11/2025 at 1:21 PM, saevel25 said:

Sneezes are dangerous as well. 

Imagine hurting your back because you sneezed. I could never 😜

[Nave]

As I am progressing in my recovery and doing slow motion swing drills, I thought I'd share a few pictures from the Ashinoko Country Club. A beautiful course with semi-autonomous carts gliding through hilly fairways, lunch served at the 9th-hole stop, and a jacuzzi waiting in the clubhouse after the round. The view stretched from Mount Fuji to the ocean ... pure scenery. Best part was to reconnect with local friends I’ve stayed close to since I worked in Tokyo 25 years ago.

Green fee, futuristic cart, lunch, jacuzzi, and superb grass conditions cost me a total of about $70.

Edited October 15 by Nave