Do not let yard work and gardening be a pain in your back. With these beautiful sunny days coming up, the gardener in you likely wants to get out there and enjoy the sunshine. But hours of mowing, weeding, raking and lifting can be a real trigger for unwanted back pain.
A Rise in Low Back Pain Patients
Within the last few weeks, our Physical Therapists have seen an alarmingly high rate of patient population come in with low back pain following gardening or yard work.
Recent studies show that in men and women, significant predictors of back pain were age (peak effect in 45-64 years), height, self-rated health, usual pattern of activity (especially heavy work), yard work or gardening, and general chronic stress.
So, how do we get rid of the low back pain? Is it possible to even treat the pain? These are common questions that pop up in our head. The answer is yes, we can get rid of the pain.
Proper Posture and Techniques
Shall we assess the circumstances? Yard labor without the proper techniques may be harsh on your back, shoulders, and knees- much like how running a 10k without adequate training can be demanding on your body, or taking on a new job without adequate preparation can be stressful on your mind.
1) Rest: My first suggestion would be to take pauses to aid with this. Even though it could take longer, the pain you might subsequently suffer is far worse.
2) Use Proper Form: The second is to pay attention to appropriate body mechanics. What do I mean when I say that? Remember these 3 cues:
* Brace your core
* Hinge at your hips
* Bend at your knees.
These 3 cues will take the load off your spine and knees.
3) Evenly Distribute Weight: Lastly, carry heavy objects close to your body. When carrying objects closer to the body, the larger muscle fibers accept the weight better and the distance between the weight and your center of gravity is less leading to less movement and more stability.
Advanced Care Physical Therapy for Back Pain Treatment
As mentioned above - In addition to treating your pain, the skilled physical therapists at Advanced Care Physical Therapy will teach you the correct body mechanics so you can do strenuous activities painlessly and easily. We recognize that pain may be crippling, so in addition to teaching you what to do if you do suffer pain, we'll also educate you on common lifting and movement mistakes that individuals make when performing yard work.
~Neely Shah, PT
