1-2-3: Gardening Can Be Back Pain Free!
The onset of spring weather beckons many of us to come outdoors to begin digging around in the warming dirt. For some, this is a highly anticipated time of year, but for those who suffer from chronic back pain, the very thought of bending over or squatting down for long periods causes them to reach instinctively for their back muscles to begin rubbing.
I’ve developed a tried-and-true plan for gardening which enables me to get my gardening tasks accomplished, all while protecting my own low back (herniated disc) “handicap.” I’m pretty certain this plan can help you, too!
1-BEFORE: Initially, I make sure I have tools which will decrease my need to reach low, lift, and carry excessively. Such items include: a rolling cart (to carry my tools, plants, fertilizers, and waste bags (mine even has a hinged lid allowing it to transform into a low bench for pruning or planting), a long-handled hoe for scratching in fertilizer and loosening up weeds, and a cushioned pad for when I must kneel.
2-DURING: Rather than squat deeply with both knees in order to reach the ground, I use a half-kneel or full-kneel position (onto the cushioned gardening pad) and hinge at my hips to bend forward. This way, I can keep my low back in neutral alignment (not overly bent/flexed). Also, I (briefly) lift heavy loads by bending my knees to load or unload my wagon. Then I can pull the heavy items around in my cart with moderate effort and minimal strain.
3-AFTER: Regardless of how you try to minimize it, yard work will require you to bend a great deal. After performing a couple of hours yard work your back can stiffen to the point where you find you are unable to stand up perfectly straight. At this point, I call it quits and head indoors for some “disc management” which looks like this:
- Lie flat on your stomach for 5 minutes, forehead resting on your stacked hands.
- Next, prop up on your elbows, chin resting on the heels of your hands (like watching TV on your belly)—3 x 30 seconds, with 30 seconds rest periods (on your stomach).
- Finally, position your hands under shoulders in a “push up position.” Slowly push through your arms to raise your trunk off the floor while keeping your pelvis in place. * Repeat 10x.
*Note: Discontinue these exercises if pain travels from your back into your buttock or leg(s), or if your mid-back feels worse after having done these extended movements!