How to Avoid Back Pain When Gardening This Spring
Spring will be here before you know it. For many of you, that means it’s time to start thinking about what you’re going to be doing in your garden this year. But before you really start digging in the dirt, you may benefit from learning how to stay in “gardening shape!”
Gardening is a great way to get outside and enjoy the fresh air and warmer temperatures, but it can also potentially lead to injury, especially in your back. That’s why it’s essential to take the necessary steps to protect your back from injury during gardening.
At Ability Physiotherapy, we can help guide you through the steps needed to prevent injuries and enjoy the season.
The Link Between Gardening and Back Pain
Back pain typically develops due to an injury, poor postural habits, or repetitive movements, such as bending over. This is why back pain is so common with gardening. The repetitive bending, digging, and reaching required in gardening often lead to lower back pain.
Although it is not often viewed this way, gardening is similar to a sports season. Just like athletes need to train in the offseason to have a productive, competitive season, gardeners need to learn how to prepare for their season.
Tips for Preventing Garden-Related Back Pain This Spring
1. Warm Up First
Like any other physical activity, it is crucial to warm up before gardening. Take about 10-15 minutes before you start any heavy-duty work to walk around the space and perform some simple active stretches, like lunges or spinal twists.
2. When in Doubt, Stick Your Butt Out
One of the most common mistakes gardeners make is with their technique. Your back is incredibly strong and resilient when you maintain the natural curves. Sticking your butt out when you bend over naturally increases the curve and helps protect your back from injury. Whether you are working with a shovel, rake, or spade, it is vital to keep your spinal curves.
Another tip? For activities like pulling weeds, it’s often better to kneel or squat so you can maintain the straight spine position and protect your back.
3. Safety First
You can take simple steps to stay safe while gardening. The most important include:
- Take frequent breaks or alternate tasks such as digging, lifting, and walking.
- Choose the right gardening tools to limit the stress on your body
- Use your hips and knees to lift, rather than your back.
Exercise of the Month
Bird Dog
(Core, Lower Back, Glutes)
Start on your hands and knees on a mat or table. Brace your abdominals and keep your back flat. Slowly raise one arm straight out in front of you while simultaneously raising your opposite leg back behind you until both limbs are straight and parallel with the ground. Lower them back down and repeat with your other limbs. 3 Sets, 10 Reps.
How Physiotherapy Can Help With Back Pain
Preparing for the gardening season can be fun and enjoyable or painful and frustrating. The Ability Physiotherapy physiotherapists are here to help ensure you get to experience the former!
If you’re currently experiencing back pain, our team can perform a comprehensive assessment to determine the source of your pain and create a comprehensive plan to resolve it. Your treatment plan may include any combination of light exercises, manual therapy, ice and heat therapies, posture improvement, or other treatments that get the joints, muscles, and nerves moving again.
However, we can still help even if you’re not currently experiencing any pain. Our team can take a look at your movement patterns and core strength and pinpoint any issues that might cause problems down the line. We’ll provide you with strategies to address those issues directly, such as a personalized exercise program, postural corrections, or tips for more ergonomic gardening.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
Fuel your gardening with this nutrient-packed bowl featuring fresh vegetables and anti-inflammatory ingredients to support your back health.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Serves: 2
Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 1 avocado, diced
- Handful of parsley or cilantro
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper
- Optional: lemon juice
Instructions:
Cook the quinoa
Rinse 1 cup quinoa. Cook with 2 cups water. Simmer 15 minutes, then fluff.
Roast the veggies
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Toss sweet potatoes and chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast 25 to 30 minutes until soft and slightly crispy.
Assemble
Add quinoa to a bowl.
Top with roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
Add avocado and fresh herbs.
Squeeze lemon over everything if you want brightness.
Call Today for an Appointment
At Ability Physiotherapy, our physiotherapists want to empower you with the tools you need to prepare for the spring gardening season. Whether you’re looking for current pain relief or just want to strengthen your body for the season ahead, we can help.
Call today to set up an appointment with one of our therapists, and don’t let back pain get in the way of a beautiful garden this spring!
Gardening Safety Quiz
Test your knowledge about safe gardening practices! Click through the questions below to see how well you know the proper techniques.
How long should you warm up before starting heavy gardening work?
Sources:
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006555.pub2/full?highlightAbstract=back%7Cexercise%7Cpain%7Cexercis
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/9/468
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673618304896
