How to look after your back in the garden
Starting work in the garden? – here’s some tips to help your back
Winter hibernation is coming to an end and many will be starting to think about Spring gardening jobs. It’s great to get outdoors and blow the cobwebs away but take care of your back with our great advice.
Clothes
– Don’t wear clothes that are tight or could constrict your movement.
Warm Up
– Gardening is like any other exercise; you need to warm up first. Don’t go straight into the heavy work; start off with lighter jobs as this will lessen the chance of muscle strain.
Take a break
– Vary your activity by spending no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and make sure you take regular breaks.
Clever spring pruning
– Get as close as possible to the things you are pruning and avoid overstretching to reach the area you are dealing with.
– Invest in some long handled secateurs to reach plants and bushes that are beyond normal reach.
Plan ahead
– If you are planning a trip to the local garden centre store to buy heavy items such as compost, buy smaller bags rather than one big bag as they are easier and safer to carry. Better still, have it delivered direct to your home.
– Don’t lift with your arms straight out, keep the elbows bent and to your side to minimise the stress on your back.
– If having items delivered, have them unloaded as close to where you need them as possible; this will save the effort of moving them again.
– A specialist garden trolley might be worth investing in to move these sorts of materials around, especially if you have lots of patio pots to move around as well.
If you do start to suffer from back pain – book a free 15 minute chat with one of our practitioners and they can let you know if it is just an ache which will go after a day or two or whether any treatment maybe needed to help it. Don’t suffer in pain call 01763 87 80 87.
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I have been going to Attend2Health for many years to address various back and joint problems. All of the chiropractors and … More osteopaths I have seen have been brilliant, as are the reception staff. In the past few months osteopath Meghan Carolan has been helping me with a problem with my right shoulder which was very painful and had limited movement. Following my last visit my shoulder is now almost fully functional again and the pain much reduced. So many thanks Meghan.
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On separate occasions earlier this year, I suffered a painful trapped nerve in my arm. I saw physio Joanne the first time … More and osteopath Meghan the second. I received excellent treatment and advice from both and with just a couple of sessions they sorted me out each time. More recently Meghan has been treating me for very painful sciatica. Initially I was in agony and could barely walk, even with the aid of a stick. I had one treatment a week and by the third session I was virtually out of pain and walking normally. Meghan also gave me specific exercises to do at home and was a pleasure to talk to. I wouldn't hesitate to return if I have problems in the future. Big thank you to Meghan! And to all the staff at Attend2Health who make it a friendly, welcoming place to visit.
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Having hurt my back on holiday I went to Attend to Health for first time and saw Megan the Osteopath and I can't speak … More highly enough about her. She has been amazing. After 4 sessions she has got my back back to normal. Having limped in there 4 weeks I am now walking properly.
Can't speak highly enough about Megan and she's such a lovely lady and always has a smile on her face.
As I left She said "keep doing your stretches!". And I will.
Carol MacDonald
