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Golf Neuroscience Research Laboratory

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Mission

Understanding how forces generated during sports activities impact the spine is essential for improving patient care. The Barrow Golf Neuroscience Research Laboratory focuses on identifying the biomechanical factors that contribute to spinal injury and recovery and translating these insights into practical recommendations for athletes, surgeons, and rehabilitation specialists.

Why Study Golf and the Spine?

Golf places substantial demands on the lumbar spine. Forces acting across the lower back during a golf swing have been estimated to reach up to eight times body weight, yet the exact mechanisms that contribute to injury remain poorly defined.

For many spine patients—particularly retirees—common questions after surgery include:

  • Can I golf again?
  • When can I safely return to golf?
  • How can I prevent another injury?

Despite the popularity of golf, there is limited evidence-based guidance linking swing mechanics, spinal loading, and injury risk. This laboratory addresses that gap through detailed biomechanical analysis.

Dr. Randall Porter operating in the OR

Research Focus

At the outset, our laboratory will focus on four-core areas of research:

  • Golf swing biomechanics with emphasis on the lumbar spine
  • Return-to-play guidelines following spine surgery
  • Injury prevention through movement and muscle activation analysis
  • Prediction of spinal loading using biomechanical and computational models

Future studies will expand to additional sports, including baseball, soccer, basketball, and racket sports.

Laboratory Capabilities

The Golf Neuroscience Research Laboratory will employ advanced technology to study these questions, including:

  • State-of-the-art golf simulator providing a realistic swing environment
  • Motion analysis system (GEARS Sports) for detailed tracking of body segments
  • Six-degree-of-freedom force plates to measure ground reaction forces
  • Wireless electromyography (EMG) for synchronized muscle activity analysis

Using synchronized motion capture, force plate, and EMG data, we will perform musculoskeletal and inverse dynamics analyses to estimate joint forces and spinal loading during the golf swing.

These data inform the development of computational models that predict lumbar spine stress and disc strain, enabling identification of potentially injurious movement patterns and supporting individualized recommendations for patients, with the ultimate goal of producing:

  • Evidence-based guidance for returning to golf after spine surgery
  • Improved preoperative counseling and postoperative rehabilitation planning
  • Injury prevention strategies for recreational and competitive golfers
  • Personalized assessments based on patient-specific biomechanics

As part of the Sonntag Spine Center, the Barrow Golf Neuroscience Research Laboratory continues to expand its research portfolio, applying its expertise in biomechanics and computational modeling to a broader range of sports and spinal conditions—all with the goal of promoting a healthier spine and safer return to activity.