How to Avoid Low Back Pain While Gardening

(This article will be published in the May 2011 edition of Grand Rapids Natural Awakenings Magazine)

Spring naturally stirs new beginnings, new growth, and new creations. It also stirs the zeal in newcomers to the world of gardening. Frequently overzealous newbie gardeners are tempted to lift something too heavy, complete a task too quickly, and attempt to accomplish something in one day what would rightfully take several. In their ambitious haste, they often develop musculoskeletal conditions that can straddle them with back pain through the entire gardening season.

Even though it generally takes years of patience to achieve what you envision, the great enjoyment provided by gardening makes it well worth the effort and mindfulness required to avoid the most common mistakes involved in lifting, weeding, raking, and shoveling, the common gardening activities that can result in back pain.

Lifting
Gardening generally requires the act of lifting at least one big bag of compost, mulch or potted shrub. Even though it is a well-known fact that lifting should be done through the legs, few gardeners remember to keep their bottom (gluteus maximus) as low as possible and their spine straight.

Weeding
It is impossible to bend over to pull just one weed without finding 10 more. An unpopular but necessary chore, pulling weeds for any amount of time depends on several things. Are you flexible in the hips? How strong are your knees? Can you touch your toes without bending your knees?

For individuals who are flexible in the hips, it is best to sit with the knees bent, one leg in front and one leg behind. When viewed from above, your legs form a “z” or a reverse “z” configuration. This puts you closer to ground and gives you better leverage to dig.

If you are not flexible in the hips, kneel on one knee, preferably with knee pads, and use your non-dominant arm to help push up while lifting up the weed. If your knees bother you, sit on a sturdy bucket and lean forward with your spine straight. Never lift anything heavy when seated because the leg muscles are not engaged


Shoveling
An improper shoveling technique is the most common gardening error. For maximum effectiveness when pushing down, the proper technique for shoveling requires that the head of the shovel is kept parallel to the pelvis. To lift the loose dirt, use the legs while tightening the abs.

The goal is to get close to the head of the shovel without bending at the waist. Bending the knees is critical for this motion. Always keep the head of the shovel close to your body. The further out you extend the head of the shovel, the greater the stress on you and your back.

To move the dirt in the shovel, move your entire body. Do no twist or turn your torso. If the dirt is heavy and dry, use a pick or a hoe to loosen it first. The claw also works well for this if you have a fair amount of upper body strength.

Raking
The twisting motion involved in raking is not good for the spine therefore it is preferable to use a blower to gather leaves. If you have low back pain, avoid twisting entirely. The rotational forces combined with a slight flexion (forward bending) are likely to exacerbate the condition.

Picking up the leaves is not nearly as strenuous as raking. If you do not have low back pain, be certain to alternate sides. Most right-handed individuals rake with the right hand behind the left one. Switch hand positions every 5 strokes. This approach should also be used for hoeing or tilling.

Composting
Positional problems with composting may arise if you have a pile kept together with a wire or wooden frame. Reaching over this frame to turn the pile with your shovel brings the head of the shovel too far away from your body. This multiplies the weight of the shovel, and creates back strain. The best solution is to jump into the compost pile. You’ll be smelly, but pain free.

Alternately, the best positional advantage for all of gardening is the raised garden bed. This is because one just won’t need to bend as far forward, so there is less strain on the spine.

Muscle Soreness
If you do have pain while performing any of these chores, it is helpful to differentiate what constitutes a “serious” injury. Most of us have sedentary jobs where our muscles will likely atrophy if we let them, therefore muscle soreness after gardening activities is to be expected. However, soreness should not be confused with muscle spasm. Spasm is also felt as cramping.

Vary your activities: dig for an hour, then weed, prune, etc. You’ll find gardening a much more enjoyable and rewarding pastime when you take care of your back.

Neck and Upper Back Pain

Hi again. I am basking in the glow of the recent sunshine which is all too uncommon here in Grand Rapids. The warm weather has certainly motivated people into more outdoor activities lately. While running around Reed's Lake recently, I could not help but notice the poor posture my fellow runners' often display.
Slouching is something your mother told you not to do. You should listen to your mother, and to your chiropractor. But how do you know if you have good posture if you don't know what good posture is? It's not quite as easy as "standing up straight", although that is certainly a big part of it.
Using a plumb line (a completely straight vertical line) to line up ceratin points on your body will tell you if you have good posture. When viewed from the side, the plumb line is aligned with the front of the ankle. Above that these points should also be "plumb": the mid-knee, the mid-waist, the mid-shoulder, and the mid-ear.
The most common display of abnormal posture occurs with the head coming too far forward. The further your head comes out in front of this line, the heavier it becomes. A 12 lb head at 1 inch forward from the plumb line requires 24 lbs of force to hold up. At 2 inches forward, it becomes 36 lbs. This means the upper back and neck muscles are overstretched and overworked. Most people will reflexively stretch the head forward in an effort to relieve the pain. This is a mistake, as it will only further promote the forward head posture.
How does one correct this? Imagine you have a rope attached to your uppper central chest, approximately where the knot would be if you were wearing a necktie. This rope is pulling you forward and up at all times. This reflexively brings the shoulder blades back and together. This also brings the shoulders back and down, rather than back and up. Military posture is not what we are looking for. We need a more relaxed and sustainable posture to get you through the day. Once the shoulders are in place, the head will naturally sit in proper algnment. Whereas the shoulders are the base of your neck, if the foundation is slanted, so goes the building. I realize some of this is easier to comprehend with pictures, and will try to get some posted here to help. Have a great day.