The sun is out and shining, the clocks have gone forward and British Summer Time has officially started! :0)
This is the time of year when people get out in the garden to start doing all those Spring jobs that have been building up over the Winter months. At The Chiropractic Clinic we commonly see patients who present with low back pain on a Monday morning following a heavy weekend gardening, so read these tips, follow them and if you have any irritations (be it low back pain, knee pain, shoulder pain – see the ‘What’ we treat tab on the homepage www.thechiroclinic.co.uk) come and talk to us about it.
The Chiropractic Clinic is currently offering the opportunity to consult with a chiropractor for £5. If you have any questions about treatment please call us to book a consultation.
Happy gardening! :0)
Before you start
Warm Up – gardening is great exercise however like all forms of exercise it is important to warm up the muscles. Start off with light jobs such as pruning before you start digging and lifting.
Make sure you have no pains – if you have any pain or stiffness before you start seek advice before you do any gardening as the challenging movements required of your body during gardening tasks may aggravate a current condition.
Vary the jobs you do every 30 minutes and take regular breaks.
Lifting heavy garden furniture / objects
When lifting objects in the garden keep your spine in neutral, bend forwards from the hips and bend the knees to squat down. When lifting use both hands to firmly grasp the object, keep the object close to your body and straighten your legs keeping the spine still in neutral. When putting down an object do the same but in reverse. If the object is heavy or if you are lifting overhead seek assistance to distribute the load between 2 or more people. When using a wheelbarrow place the object to the front over the wheel and lift the handles as described above. Always push a wheelbarrow, never pull it.
Digging
Correct posture when digging can avoid irritation of the low back joints and muscles. If you have a large area to dig, do it in stages. Only lift as much soil as you can comfortably manage and avoid sudden twisting actions. Your shoulders, hips and feet should be facing the same direction at all times so remember to move your feet so that excessive strain is not placed on your low back.
Pruning
When kneeling to weed and plant at ground level use a cushioned pad or kneeler to avoid prolonged squatting which can aggravate knees.
Sit back and enjoy your hard work during the long summer evenings in the garden!
