How to Protect Your Back When Gardening

How to Protect Your Back When Gardening

You can smell it in the air—it’s gardening time!  I love my garden. I can’t wait to get my hands in the earth and start planting.

Gardening is an excellent way to get physical activity and is rewarding in so many ways. Still, strenuous activities can do a number on your body, so you’ll want to protect your back from the start. 

Treat Gardening as a Sport

Outdoor gardening is a seasonal activity that requires a tremendous amount of effort and skill. Here are a few other reasons I consider gardening a sport:

·         You’re competing against nature in a defensive position, pulling up weeds and managing growth. 

·         You play offense by maintaining a healthy environment free of pests, taking back territory in various parts of your garden.

·         You’re racing against the clock and only have so much time to rake the leaves, lift the soil, shovel the manure, and stir the compost.  

·         You work all your muscles, sweat a bunch, and feel exhausted yet exhilarated.

Gardening is fruitful and rewarding in multiple ways, but some tasks can lead to back pain if done without support or improper posture.  As a chiropractor, I see gardeners who’ve been pulled from their garden for weeks because of back or neck pain.  Let’s talk about which chores may need to be avoided or modified to protect your back and body. 

Tasks Most Likely to Cause Back Pain from Gardening

The #1 way to herniate a disc is bending forward and twisting.  It may seem like no big deal to grab a bag of mulch and throw it over your shoulder, but those movements can throw your back out and force you out of the garden for at least a couple of weeks.

Mixing and sowing tight soil can seriously pull those muscles in your arms, neck, and shoulders. And don’t forget about your wrists!

Spine-Health:  11 Ways to Keep Gardening with Back Pain