Even though it is typically a low impact hobby, gardening can give you quite a workout. Unless you suffer a strain of sorts, you likely won’t feel those bodily aches and pains until a few hours after a session tending to your plants. The most common complaint our St Petersburg chiropractor hears from gardeners is that they are suffering from back pain, typically in the lower lumbar of the spine. Here are some tips to avoid having your gardening efforts become a ‘pain in the back.
Stretch Your Way to the Garden
Before you begin digging and plowing away, do a few stretches that concentrate on extending the back, legs, arms, neck, and shoulders. Just taking a bit of time to get your muscles warmed up can help you avoid the need for St Petersburg chiropractic care. If you need stretching advice, we can work up a set of ‘blueprint’ exercises for you that you can do at home.
Add Variety to Your Gardening Routine
Rather than spending an entire day on your knees or bending over weeding or planting, switch tasks periodically and do some garden work that allows you to stand such as watering or tending to elevated plants. This can ease the strain on your back, neck, and shoulders by avoiding overuse of muscles due to repetition.
Lift, Bend, and Kneel Properly
Always lift with the knees and not the back, and hold items inward towards the chest to reduce strain on the back. Maintain center of gravity by bending the knees, especially when squatting or kneeling. Leave one foot planted on the ground when kneeling and alter knees every few minutes to reduce knee and back pain.
Diversify Your Garden Landscaping
Not all plants need to be directly in the ground soil. Bring things up to your height to reduce time bending over and squatting. You can use window boxes, plant hangers, large barrel planters or install raised beds that make your garden stand out and allow you to stand up when tending to them.
Gear Up With Helpful Garden Tools
Avoid the need for St Petersburg chiropractic care due to pain by investing in a few handy tools to do ease your gardening strain. Use cushioned pads for kneeling or use a small garden bench or stool to reduce stooping and bending of the back and neck. Let a wheelbarrow transport garden elements around the lawn rather than carrying them yourself.
Chiropractic Techniques Our St Petersburg Chiropractor Uses for Back Pain Relief
We offer a variety of non-invasive and holistic therapies to help prevent and resolve back pain, as an aligned spine is a happy spine.
Some pain management techniques we utilize at Suncoast Integrative Healthcare include:
- Chiropractic Adjustments
Physiotherapy Techniques
Soft Tissue Treatments
Lifestyle Advice
Therapeutic Exercises and Stretches
Contact Suncoast Integrative Healthcare Today
If you have back pain or are looking for ways to avoid injuries during gardening or other hobbies, give us a contact today to schedule a consultation. New patients receive 15% off their first visit.