8 Simple Ways to Reduce Back Pain While Gardening
The warm spring weather is uplifting, and serves as a great inspiration for outdoor activities. While going to the beach, playing a round of golf and just taking a walk can all be fun, it’s important to monitor the condition of your back.
Gardening is another therapeutic spring activity, but it can take a serious toll on your spine. This pain may not come during the gardening process, but many hours later. Our Bellmore chiropractic office has come up with these 8 simple ways to limit back pain.
1. Warm Up Your Body
After a long winter of inactivity, many avid gardeners are eager to jump back into the thick of it. During this spurt of motivation, they may forget to warm up, which is a critical step.
A pre-gardening warm-up should be a series of simple stretches along with a short walk. Tailor your stretches to the specific gardening activities you plan to engage in. Some may include a hamstring stretch, quad stretch, calf stretch and calf raises.
If you experience regular back pain, then spine-friendly exercises may be beneficial as well.
2. Lift Properly to Prevent Back Strain
Flowers are light, but other gardening materials can be a burden on the spine. Potting soil, mulch, and other bagged supplies are quite heavy. The awkward shape of these bags may inadvertently trigger poor lifting techniques. Despite the inconvenience, it’s important to lift all materials properly.
Practicing proper lifting technique allows gardeners to continue working without experiencing pain. Instead of bending your waist, keep your back straight and bend at the knees. Using the strength of your legs instead of your spine will keep your back in a healthy condition.
3. Work with a Raised Platform
Raised flower beds are not only an aesthetic improvement, but also prevent back pain.
Working on a higher surface will eliminate the constant need to arch the back when planting flowers. In doing so, this also prevents repetitive back motion, which is harmful to the spine.
By positioning your body closer to the plants, your body will experience many benefits.
4. Grab a Seat
Whether it is a bucket, stool or a scooter, gardening while seated can minimize leg strain, and consequently back pain.
When you cannot work on a raised platform, seats are a great alternative for minimizing back pain. If you do opt for a seat, though, be sure that your entire body weight (and muscles) are supported. In other words, be sure that the entirety of the buttocks are supported, rather than hanging off the edge. Keeping your feet planted and spread apart will create a foundation for your body’s weight support.
Like the raised platforms, a seat will minimize repetitive motions, giving your body more freedom to work. To find a seating arrangement that will work well for your spine condition, ask Dr. Brenner when you visit our Bellmore office.
5. Limit Twisting Motions
Throughout a gardening session, gardeners require many resources. Instead of constantly reaching for these resources, our Bellmore Chiropractic office recommends that patients keep these materials within reach.
Twisting behind your back to obtain a tool, plant or soil will have a negative impact on your spine. This motion strains the muscles in the lower back and increases the risk of injury such as muscle strain, ligament sprain or disc herniation.
6. Use the Proper Tools
While you may be able to garden with only your hands, the right tools will aid in preventing back pain.
For example, trowels with longer handles will allow you to garden without bending to reach the plants. Weed removers with long handles allow gardeners to remove dandelions without discomfort. And, while they may not help your back, gloves can limit irritation and encourage longer gardening sessions.
Our Bellmore Chiropractic office can recommend other tools to help prevent pain during or after gardening.
7. Choose Low-Maintenance Plants
Not all plants require daily watering, feeding and weeding. Choosing plants that require less frequent maintenance will mitigate back pain, and allow you to conserve this energy for other tasks.
Many shrubs do not require regular supervision, making them an ideal choice.
8. Receive Consistent Chiropractic Care
When your body is engaged in strenuous physical activity like gardening, you need a way to rejuvenate muscle strength and reduce pressure on the spine. Consistent Chiropractic therapy will help to ease any strain caused by gardening. Treatments from a Bellmore Chiropractic office can also help you to prevent future pain.
Spring 2018: Don’t Suffer from Back Pain!
At Brenner Chiropractic, we take pride in helping all patients to receive the best care possible. Through individualized attention, our care will help patients to enjoy all of the spring activities that they love most. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you minimize back pain.