Love To Garden? How To Keep Your Back From Hurting
When someone works in a garden, whether that is a flower or a vegetable garden, a lot of the work is bending over, which is hard on the back. If you love to garden, you can still enjoy it, and keep your back happy. You should also have the number of a chiropractor handy just in case you need him or her.
Pulling the Weeds
Weeds can take over a garden very quickly if they are not taken care of soon after they pop up out of the ground. According to the American Chiropractic Organization, stretching your back muscles before you start weeding is beneficial. One great stretch is to hug yourself.
Wrap your arms around your body and rotate to the left side. Hold the stretch for a few seconds, and then do the same thing for the right side. Repeat this stretch until your back starts to feel loose.
Another stretch is to stand up and raise your arms up over your head, twist your body to the right side, and hold it for a few seconds. Go back to the starting position, twist your body to the left side, and hold for a few seconds. Keep doing this until you start to feel your back loosen up.
Digging the Garden
Choosing the right shovel can keep you from straining your back. Visit a gardening center and see if they have ergonomic shovels. These shovels have a curved handle, and some of them also allow you to adjust the length of the handle. This way you can make the handle longer so you do not have to bend over as far.
When you dump the soil out of your shovel do not twist your body, but instead turn your whole body. You should also stay in alignment of the direction your shovel is facing.
Visiting a Chiropractor
Even after taking these precautions you still have back pain, you should visit a chiropractor. He or she can use techniques to help alleviate the pain, as well as give you some more tips on how to prevent back pain when gardening. Two treatments chiropractors often use are:
- Spinal manipulation: The chiropractor will have you lie down on a table, and apply arm thrusts to areas of your back. You may also hear this called chiropractic adjustment.
- Mobilization: With this treatment, the chiropractor uses a technique to stretch the muscles in your back, as well as your joints.
A chiropractor can also help you with neck pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, and more.
If you have always ended up with a sore back after gardening each year, these tips should make things go a little easier on you. To learn more, contact a company like Chiropractor Plus with any questions or concerns you have.
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