Gardening doesn’t have to be painful!

How does gardening impact your back?

Gardening involves a combination of bending, lifting, twisting, and prolonged physical activity, all of which can put stress on your back. The following factors often contribute to back pain in gardeners:

Poor Posture: Bending over plants or soil without proper support can lead to strain on your spinal muscles and ligaments, increasing the risk of injury.

Repetitive Motions: Activities such as weeding, digging, or pruning can involve repetitive strain, which may lead to muscle fatigue and soreness.

Improper Lifting Techniques: Lifting heavy bags of soil, pots, or garden tools incorrectly can strain your back, especially if you’re not using your legs properly.

Prolonged Positions: Spending extended hours in the same position, especially on your knees or bending over, can lead to discomfort and stiffness.

What can you do to reduce the risk?

Pace Yourself: Remember to start slowly in the Spring and build up the time per sessions as you go. You don’t need to do everything at once.

Warm Up: Gardening is hard work! Take 5-10 minutes to move / gentle exercise to warm up before your start. Move and stretch you arms, legs, back, neck and fingers. Begin with a lighter job before starting to lift or dig.

Take about break: Try a short break every 30-45 minutes. Set an alarm so you don’t lose track of time.

Use equipment: There are a number of options available, including kneelers, long-handled tools,  stools and step ladders.

Don’t take shortcuts: Get up and move rather than reaching across a bed when planting, your back will thank you for it!

Change levels: When dealing with long standing back pain, creating raised beds in the garden can be extremely beneficial.

What to do if you are experiencing pain from gardening.

If you do find yourself suffering from back pain due to gardening, it’s important to address it promptly. Here are some treatment options that may help:

Rest and Ice: Give your back a break. Resting the affected area for a few days combined with ice therapy can reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Apply ice wrapped in cloth for 15-20 minutes every hour as needed.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relief: Paracetamol and Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can help alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Always follow the dosage guidelines and consult your GP if you have any concerns.

Gentle Stretching and Strengthening Exercises: Once the acute pain subsides, gentle stretching and strengthening exercises can help restore flexibility and strength to your back. Focus on exercises that target your core stability, which plays a crucial role in supporting your back. Some beneficial exercises include:

Pelvic Tilts: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Gently flatten your lower back against the floor and hold for five seconds. Repeat 10-15 times.

Cat-Cow Stretch: Get on your hands and knees. Alternately arch your back (like a cat) and then drop your belly toward the floor (like a cow). This helps increase flexibility and relieve tension.

Bird-Dog Exercise: From the hands-and-knees position, extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back, keeping your back straight. Hold for a few seconds, then switch sides. This exercise strengthens your core and back muscles.

Heat Therapy: Applying heat to your back can help relax tense muscles and improve blood flow. A warm towel or a heating pad applied for 15-20 minutes can be soothing.

Activity Modification: If certain gardening tasks aggravate your back pain, consider modifying how you perform them. You may want to limit heavy lifting or alternate gardening tasks that require different body positions.

Physiotherapy: Sometimes self management is not quite enough, a Physiotherapy assessment can identify the underlying cause/mechanism/injury and treat/advise/plan a treatment programme accordingly.

For further information get in touch on 07534261106 or nick@nrphysio.co.uk