Although it may seem like a fairly light form of physical activity, gardening can put serious stress on the body. In fact, there are tons of different injuries gardeners can suffer from, some of which can last for many months or longer.
Fortunately, a good chiropractor can help to bulletproof your body so that you avoid sustaining any gardening injuries. This way, you can keep participating in the activity you love all summer long.
Common Gardening Injuries
Truthfully, a gardener could technically suffer from almost any orthopedic injury. Gardening requires the use of the whole body, so no joints or muscles are safe. However, there are some commonly affected areas and injuries which gardeners need to pay particular attention to.
Back Pain
Bending, reaching, and lifting are all integral parts of the gardening process. These motions also have something else in common: they all require a strong, mobile low back. Many gardeners seek care for their low back pain every year. Unfortunately, many of these individuals don’t find the care they need, and they may give up their favorite activity, hoping that they’ll get relief through rest.
Back pain requires a hands-on approach from a professional. This issue won’t typically just go away on its own.
Neck Pain
Because gardeners work with their hands and arms so much, they are at high risk for neck injuries. Reaching and pulling movements require the neck to remain strong and flexible, as the muscles around it need to help stabilize the upper body during these motions.
If your neck is constantly feeling tight, you may be on the brink of developing a long-term neck issue. This is not something you should take a “wait-and-see” approach with. Rather, you should be proactive and take steps now to address this issue.
Rotator Cuff Tears
Rotator cuff injuries are very common amongst all populations. In fact, rotator cuff tears are one of the most common reasons why a person goes to see their doctor in general.
Raking, lifting, and many other motions associated with gardening rely on the shoulders and particularly on the rotator cuff. Therefore, gardeners need to pay particular attention to this part of the body.
Knee Pain
Much of the time, gardeners find themselves kneeling to complete their tasks. While kneeling itself isn’t necessarily bad, kneeling for many hours on hard, uneven surfaces can begin to irritate the knees.
This irritation may lead to chronic knee pain and it may keep gardeners inside, rather than out in their gardens.
Preventing Gardening Injuries
Above, we reviewed some of the most common gardening injuries. Now, let’s take a look at how to prevent these issues.
Set Up Your Workstation for Success
When you’re working on your garden, you should be sure to keep everything as close to your body as possible. This may mean keeping your tools close at hand or physically moving your body closer to what you are working on. You should try to limit reaching as much as possible, as this is one of the major reasons why gardeners suffer injuries.
Take Breaks
It can be tempting to keep going when you’re working in the nice weather on your passion project. But you need to schedule breaks during your gardening. Even just a five-minute stretching break every hour will go a long way.
Attend Chiropractic Sessions Often
Chiropractic care helps to keep your spine aligned perfectly. This enables your body to work more efficiently, and it lowers the chances of you suffering an injury. Your chiropractor knows just what to do to help you be successful in the garden this summer.
The summer is kicking into full swing in the very near future. Are you ready for it? To make sure your body is prepared for the gardening tasks ahead, set up an appointment with us at Awaken Chiropractic, the Parker chiropractor. Book your appointment now!
