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| Marie Sarra, Physical Therapist Burnett Medical Center |
The benefits of gardening are plenty—improved endurance and strength, maintenance of flexibility, stress reduction, and not to mention, having healthy, home-grown food on hand! Unfortunately, also with gardening come common injuries:
- Repetitive strain injuries (RSI) are caused by a combination of the force on your body, poor posture, and repetitive tasks. They are often felt in the hands, wrists and forearms, shoulders, neck, and back.
- Traumatic injuries such as back injuries, ankle sprains, fractures, or injuries from power tools can also occur.
1. To prevent back injury when moving heavy loads, avoid lifting heavy objects on your own. Instead, get someone to help you or use a wheelbarrow to transport loads. If you must move heavy objects by yourself, slide the object off a bench or tailgate or roll the object to its destination.
2. When lifting from the ground, follow these steps for a safe lift:
- Clear the way to the object’s destination first.
- Keep the load close to you with your arms comfortably bent.
- Keep your back straight! Squat with a wide stance and bend at the knees to lift the object from between your feet.
- Avoid jerky movements or reaching, twisting, or bending while carrying a load.
3. If you are shoveling, squat with your legs apart, knees bent, and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine, so keep the load close.
4. Maintain good posture. Posture can be affected by the location of your job and your body, the force needed for the job, the position of your limbs, and the tool you are using. When doing ground work, never over-reach; move to the job and keep close to your work. Always face your work straight-on without twisting. Use a gardening bench, stool, or knee pad while working. You can also use raised garden beds or table-top gardens to avoid bending excessively. To decrease awkward postures, check your body alignment and change position often.
5. Avoid injuring your shoulders or neck by reaching overhead too much. Keep your work below shoulder level when possible, including using a ladder to bring yourself up to the level you are working. If you must reach overhead, take breaks to stretch your arms and back, or break up the activity by interspersing it with another task.
6. To protect your hands and arms, keep your elbows partially bent, especially when doing activities requiring elbow strength. Use a weeding tool to avoid twisting the forearms repeatedly back and forth. Keep your arms and wrists in a neutral position – with the thumbs up and without cocking your wrist up, down, or sideways (like giving a handshake).
7. Wear correct footwear to help prevent ankle sprains. Using sandals or soft shoes can put you at risk for injury.
8. Be aware of the symptoms of a problem! Symptoms may include tingling, swelling, impaired ability to move, decreased grip strength, numbness, or change in color of hands or fingertips. Another symptom may be experiencing pain with movement, pressure, vibration, or exposure to cool temperatures.
9. The most important rule in repetitive strain injury prevention is to never work through pain! If you are already aching, you may aggravate already existing injuries by pushing your body past its limits. RSI can become chronic if you do not listen to your body! Stop doing what hurts. If you do feel pain from gardening, you can help reduce inflammation by using ice on the area of injury.
Information in this article is not meant to replace the advice of your personal healthcare provider.
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