Physical Therapy Provides Pre/Post-Game Technique for Gardening Pain-Free

Gardeners across St. Louis are taking advantage of the increasingly warm temperatures to water, weed and harvest summer produce. However, both first time gardeners as well as more experienced horticulture veterans often experience pain following a full day in the dirt.

In fact, physical therapists often see an increase in the number of patients experiencing pain from gardening during the spring and summer months.

“We often see an increase in knee pain, shoulder pain, muscle sprains/strains and back pain. It sounds like a football-postgame injury report, but it is actually a rundown of common injuries many gardeners suffer from while working in the lawn or garden. And what most people don’t know is that many aches and pains are preventable,” says Megan Randich, Physical Therapist and Facility Manager at the Athletico Westchester clinic.

Gardening/landscaping isn’t a full-contact sport, but your body will thank you if you follow a simple “pregame” and “postgame” routine stretches. To ensure you stay healthy and pain-free this summer, Megan recommends the following stretches and tips.

• Pre-Gardening Stretches: Gardeners spend countless hours lifting, bending, pulling and twisting. It’s a recipe for an aching back, arms and legs. We’ll share simple stretches meant to warm up your muscles to reduce the chances of injuries. For example, a standing extension stretch where you place your hands in the small of your back, use your hands as a fulcrum and arch backward while trying to keep your knees straight. This counters the repetitive forward positioning common for gardening.
• Gardening Tool Tips: Don’t do the job alone. A wheelbarrow and rakes/shovels with longer handles will reduce the amount of bending and heavy lifting you do. Our PT will discuss the importance of these tools, as well as how proper technique will reduce the likelihood of injury and soreness.
• Address Your Body Mechanics: Proper mechanics reduce the strain you put on your body. Avoid twisting your body. If working low to the ground, use a split kneeling stance or bench to avoid being hunched over. For any lifting, keep items as close to your body as possible. When working on high projects, such as tree trimming, keep your back upright and get as close as possible to avoid reaching.
• Stay hydrated: Dehydration can have an immediate impact on the body, but it can also have a delayed impact with muscles feeling sore a day or two after your hard work. It turns out doing a better job hydrating during the workout can lessen the soreness.

These tips will lessen your muscle and join pain in the days following yard work, so you can get back to doing what you love. For more information, or to schedule an appointment for a complimentary injury screen you can visit Athletico.com.