Just wanted to relate a similar experience. Started playing golf a few weeks ago at age 56, thinking I was in the best shape of my life. Well, now I temporarily feel like I'm 90, with sore upper back (beginning a month or so ago) and now a similar problem on the right, with the left finally better. Until a few weeks ago I had never gone to a chiropractor, not sure I even believed in chiropractic. But so many golfers urged me to go, I decided to do it. My initial injury was left upper back between shoulder blade and spine. After hurting it, but not that badly, I sneezed, apparently out of position and experienced a 30 second back spasm that hurt like nothing I've experienced. I think I displaced a rib and somehow injured -- tore or strained or sprained -- some muscle around it. Chiropractor adjusted the rib back into place (assuming you believe this is what actually occurs; I don't know myself), and I got some relief and it continued to get better over the next few weeks. Frankly, I think I waited too long to get help and really injured my muscles, which meant that the rib fix didn't really give me great relief until the muscles started to heal. When I went back to swinging the club again I apparently did too much, too fast, because I was trying obsessively to overcome my slice. As a result, amazingly, I experienced the same injury on the other side -- exactly in the same place, but on the right side of my back. This time I knew to go to the chiro immediately and she "popped" the rib back into place and I get immediate relief -- though it was still sore. Despite my moderate skepticism I am sure that what she did helped. Then, the next day I apparently popped it out again, inadvertently -- it's easy to reinjure while the muscles are weakened from the injury. I went back to her office immediately and she put in back into place again, along with electric stimulation, etc. Anyway, I would encourage any and all of you experiencing similar things to go to the chiropractor -- one that knows his or her limitations. I do believe that in my case the propensity to injury is a result of my trying to overcome major swing issues early on in my experience and my OC personality. Henceforth I'm going to try to discipline myself to be more moderate -- only on the golf course, mind you, and at the first sign of such an injury, run to the chiro for a quick "fix." I suppose anti-inflammatories can be helpful, but I try to stay away from medicine if I can. I definitely would caution again pain medicine if avoidable. MDs usually don't have a clue on these types of injuries and the chiros can at least accelerate your recovery; I'm convinced of it.
