Avoid Lower Back Pain While Gardening This Summer
The arrival of summer means that it's officially time to get working in your garden, planting flowers to enjoy and vegetables that you'll soon get to harvest. The last thing you want is to sustain a lower back injury that prevents you from doing much other than gazing longingly out the window as you nurse your pain. Visiting a chiropractor after you've injured yourself gardening can get you back to a pain-free life, but the best approach is to take care to avoid getting hurt in the first place. Here are some tips to keep lower back pain away as you work in your garden this summer.
Be Careful Lifting Heavy Objects
Gardening might occasionally be seen as light work by some people, but the reality is that there are many labor-intensive tasks that are a part of this hobby. Lifting bags of soil, planters and even full watering cans can put a strain on your lower back and possibly even cause an acute injury. As such, it's important to exercise caution whenever you're lifting heavy objects. Bend at the knees and the hips -- rather than at the waist -- so that you're lifting with your legs instead of your back. And if you're concerned about the weight of something, ask for help from a stronger family member or neighbor.
Work At A Proper Height
Gardening involves a considerable amount of bending that can risk hurting your lower back. Although you'll often have to spend time kneeling in front of your garden or standing in the garden bent over, try to work on plants at a proper height that doesn't involve bending whenever possible. This means investing in a gardener's table; you can use it to prepare potted plants and perform other such tasks — all at roughly the height of your waist. Using a gardener's table is much like working at the kitchen counter and is an effective way to decrease your risk of doing something that causes back pain.
Upgrade Your Tools
Investing in new gardening tools can often help to reduce your risk of a lower back injury. Whether you're digging, raking or hoeing, try to get tools with the longest handles possible. Using them allows you to work while maintaining an upright posture instead of being bent over. Consider ergonomic garden tools, too; for example, a shovel or a rake with a slightly bent handle puts less strain on your back during use, much in the same manner as an ergonomic snow shovel.
If you try all these tips and you still end up with lower back pain, don't hesitate to visit a chiropractor like Dr Rick J Jaminet PC.