Assessment
A detailed history, then a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. You leave knowing what is wrong, why it happened, and exactly what we are going to do about it.
Concern
Golf Injuries Treatment in London
Most golf injuries are overuse, and the sore spot is rarely the source. We screen your movement and rebuild the strength and rotation your swing needs.
Our golf injury team
Overview
Understanding golf injuries
Golf looks low-impact, but the repeated high-speed rotation of the swing loads the spine and limbs hard, and most golf injuries are overuse rather than acute. The body shares load up a chain, so limited hip or thoracic rotation often drives back pain; the sore site is not always the source.
Can I keep playing while it settles?
Usually yes, with sensible adjustments to volume. We use a movement screen, in the spirit of TPI-style assessment, to find the restriction overloading the painful region, then rebuild the strength, mobility and rotation your swing needs. NICE and BJSM support graded loading for tendinopathy and back pain.
We treat club and competitive golfers across our Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone clinics, and can work alongside your coach. Self-referral; no GP letter needed.
Why it happens
What causes golf injuries?
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Repeated high-speed trunk rotation and side-bending through the swing: the dominant load on the golfer's lower back
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Limited hip or thoracic rotation, which shifts rotational load onto the lumbar spine and lead-side hip
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Repetitive gripping and wrist loading, driving medial elbow (golfer's elbow) and wrist tendinopathy
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Impact with the ground or a mat: fat shots and heavy turf contact loading the wrist and elbow
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A spike in practice or playing volume without a gradual build-up, the classic overuse trigger
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Strength, mobility or control deficits up the kinetic chain that leave one region absorbing more than its share
Physiotherapy for golf injuries can help to:
Trace the pain past the sore spot
The body shares the swing's load up a chain, so a painful lower back is often paying for a stiff lead hip or thoracic spine. A movement screen, in the spirit of TPI-style assessment, finds the restriction underneath, so we treat the source rather than the symptom site.
Ease the back your swing keeps loading
Repeated high-speed rotation makes the lower back the region golfers injure most. We settle the current flare with hands-on care and graded exercise, then restore the hip and thoracic rotation that lets the lumbar spine stop doing everyone else's job.
Fix golfer's elbow at the tendon and the cause
The inner-elbow tendon is irritated by repeated gripping, wrist loading and heavy turf contact. Progressive forearm loading rebuilds its capacity while we adjust practice volume and any contributing technique factor. Rest alone leaves the tendon exactly as weak as it was.
Keep you playing while it settles
Most golf injuries tolerate adjusted volume: fewer range balls, shorter sessions, sometimes a short break from full swings while we load the tissue in other ways. We set the level with you, then build back towards full rounds as capacity returns.
Build the rotation your swing needs
Targeted strength and mobility work rebuilds hip and thoracic rotation, trunk control and the capacity to repeat a high-speed swing without one region absorbing more than its share. That is what protects the back and elbow when volume climbs again.
Pull in the same direction as your coach
Where a movement restriction and a technical pattern are tangled together, we can liaise with your golf coach so rehabilitation and swing work reinforce each other. We own the physical capacity; your coach owns the technique. Your game gets the benefit of both.
At your first appointment we look for the cause: your history, how you move, and what your work, sport and life ask of your body.
The assessment covers a detailed history and a thorough examination of movement, strength and the affected area. We explain what we find and agree a working diagnosis and plan you understand before you leave.
You go home with a written summary and a home-exercise programme built around your diagnosis and goals, so progress continues between visits.
From pain to performance. Pain relief that lasts is not enough on its own: we rebuild the strength behind the pain so it stays gone.
- Three central London clinics: Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone, plus home visits across London and online sessions.
- Led by physiotherapist Sam Harvey: 15 years of clinical practice and an elite-sport background across football, rugby and GAA.
- Physiotherapy, strength and nutrition under one roof: three clinicians, three disciplines, joined-up care.
Fees and booking
You can self-refer and book directly: no GP letter needed, and every new patient can start with a free 15-minute consultation call. The same fees apply across our Soho, Liverpool Street and Marylebone clinics.
- Physiotherapy: a full 60 minutes for £145, whether it is your first visit or a follow-up
- 30-minute follow-ups at £90, with video appointments from £70
- Strength training and Reformer Pilates £120, sports massage from £75
- VALD performance and strength testing with a written report, £195
- 5% off a block of five sessions, 10% off a block of ten
- An itemised receipt with every session, for claiming back where your policy covers physiotherapy
Your journey
with Physio and Performance
Everything starts with finding the cause. Whether the goal is a marathon start line or a week at your desk without pain, we treat what is driving the problem, then build the strength that keeps it fixed.
Treatment
Hands-on manual therapy combined with a progressive, tailored exercise programme. Sports massage, dry needling, shockwave or Reformer Pilates are added where they help your specific problem.
Rebuild
Coached, progressive strength work restores the load tolerance your body lost, paced to where you start. This is the stage that decides whether the fix lasts.
Perform
Each follow-up reassesses you against your baseline, with VALD testing where useful, so your return to work, sport or training rests on measured readiness. Discharge happens by mutual agreement when you can manage independently.
We specialise in:
- Physiotherapy and sports rehabilitation
- Coached strength and conditioning
- Reformer Pilates
- Sports massage and soft-tissue therapy
- Dry needling and shockwave therapy
- VALD performance and strength testing
- Post-operative rehabilitation
- Running and gait analysis
- Sports nutrition and dietetics
Treatment approach
How do we treat golf injuries?
Physiotherapy & Sports Rehabilitation
£145Sports physiotherapy is the core treatment: accurate diagnosis of the back, lead hip, elbow, wrist or shoulder problem, a graded loading plan that rebuilds rotational capacity, and a criteria-based return to full swing volume rather than discharging on how a joint feels.
See treatment detail →Strength Training
£120Targeted strength and mobility work rebuilds the rotational capacity, hip and thoracic movement and trunk control the golf swing demands, addressing the underlying deficits that let one region overload another and reducing recurrence.
See treatment detail →VALD Performance & Strength Testing
£195VALD testing gives objective strength and left-to-right asymmetry data across the chain, helping pinpoint the restriction overloading the painful region and guiding a measured, criteria-based return to full play rather than a feel-based one.
See treatment detail →FAQ
Frequently asked
questions
Why does golf give me lower back pain?
The golf swing loads the lower back with repeated high-speed rotation, so it is the region golfers injure most. Often the back is compensating for stiffness elsewhere: a restricted lead hip or thoracic spine forces the lumbar spine to do more. A movement screen finds that restriction, so we treat the cause rather than the painful back alone.
What is golfer's elbow and how is it treated?
Golfer's elbow is a tendinopathy of the tendons on the inner side of the elbow, irritated by repeated gripping and wrist loading. It responds well to progressive forearm loading, grip and practice-volume adjustments and addressing any technique factor. Rest alone rarely fixes it, because the tendon needs graded load to rebuild capacity over time.
Do I have to stop playing golf while I recover?
Rarely completely. Most golf injuries respond better to adjusted load than to full rest, so we typically reduce practice volume, range time or rounds to a level the tissue tolerates, then build back up. Some problems benefit from a short break from full swings while we load the tissue in other ways.
Can you work with my golf coach?
Yes, where it helps. If a movement restriction or a technical pattern is contributing to your injury, we can liaise with your coach so the rehabilitation and any swing change pull in the same direction. We focus on the physical capacity and movement; your coach owns the technique. Together that usually produces the most durable, long-term outcome for your game.
Get Started
Ready to begin?
Book today.
Physio and Performance • 111 Charing Cross Road, Soho, London WC2H 0DT
BookAppointments typically available within 1–2 weeks