The Dirt on Avoiding Injury in the Garden

Written by: Colusa Regional Medical Center

Spring has sprung with Easter Bunnies, chocolate eggs and colorful flowers but it seems as though winter is lingering on past its welcome.  The clouds and rain continue to assault us in wave after apparently never ending wave.  As the warmth and light of spring continue to elude us, gardeners can feel like racehorses in the starting gate.  Once the bell rings and the gates open they’re off! We will hurry outside into the sunshine and fresh air, filled with energy and enthusiasm.  Gardening is fun, its great exercise and has proven positive effects on mental well being. As much as our minds are ready for it, have our bodies been tuned up in preparation for the onslaught of bending, lifting, carrying, and reaching?

Gardening is the fastest growing outdoor leisure activity in the United States.  Anyone who gardens will agree that it can be extremely hard work.  Even if you are used to a regular program of exercise, gardening requires strength and flexibility.  The most important gardening tool we have is our body.  Traumatic and repetitive strain injuries can result from poor preparation and doom your gardening fun if you are not aware and careful.  Traumatic injuries occur suddenly and often have a critical result.  Many traumatic injuries that occur in the garden involve improper or careless use of power equipment and tools.  Other common injuries include back strain, ankle sprains, cuts and wounds, fractures and poisons.  To avoid becoming a gardening casualty statistic avoid lifting heavy objects by yourself, get someone to help you lift, or load and unload using a bench or tailgate, into a wheelbarrow or garden cart.  While lifting keep the object as close to your body as possible, bend at the knees, and keep your body straight by contracting your abdominals.

Wear proper footwear for the job.  Sandals do not give enough support, especially on uneven ground and slippery surfaces.  Open toed shoes do not protect the feet adequately from falling objects, stubbing toes or out of control power tools. Wear gloves to protect the hands and long sleeve shirts and long pants to protect from scratches, cuts and punctures.  Keep your tools tidy to avoid tripping. Use stepladders for high objects and make sure they are positioned adequately to avoid unbalanced falls.  Be extremely careful with chemicals.  Read labels and follow instructions.  When spraying, stand upwind of the spray and us a respirator with appropriate filter if indicated.  Be aware of natural toxins as well.  Some plants are toxic and should be handled with care.

Repetitive strain injuries are far more common and insidious than traumatic injuries.  There are a variety of “cumulative trauma disorders” such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis that develop over time as a result of repeated micro traumas to the soft tissues of the body.  Many lawn and garden chores are repetitive by nature.  Trimming hedges, pruning bushes or planting bulbs often require the same muscles to be used over and over again. Repetitiveness can cause tendon irritation, obstruction of blood flow through the arteries or compression of nerves. These brief individual incidents may not cause any noticeable impairment on their own, but their repeated and combined effect could cause or aggravate a larger problem.

To reduce the risk of cumulative trauma disorders proper body positioning, well designed tools, frequent breaks and stretching are keys to being a healthy gardener.  Use lightweight, sturdy tools that fit properly.  A proper handle design is critical and will only work if it fits YOU.  To determine the correct size of grip for digging tools make the “OK” sign with your thumb and index finger and measure the inside diameter of the “O”.  This measurement indicates the optimum grip diameter of a hand tool which is generally about 1.5 inches.  For long handled tools, particularly tall or short individuals should carefully evaluate the length of the tools to reduce strain on the back.  They should have long enough handles so you can stand upright to use them and avoid excessive leaning or bending over.

Even if you have a regular exercise regime, frequent breaks and stretching will keep your body in shape for gardening.  To stretch the back bend at the waist and reach down to the ground with your hands, also put your hands on your waist and gently arch backwards, looking up to the sky.  Shoulders can be relaxed by rolling them forward and backward in a circular motion.  For upper arms, take your elbow straight up over your head and let your hand rest down on the back of your neck or in between your shoulder blades.  The forearm and wrist can be stretched by holding your arm out straight in front of you, holding onto the fingers, bend the wrist and fingers back.  With the arm still out in front, make a fist and bend the wrist down at the same time.  Slowly and gently perform each stretch five times.

Work below shoulder level whenever possible to avoid strain on your back and shoulders. When working at ground level squat down bending the knees and keeping your heels on the ground.  Keep the back relatively straight and feet apart for balance.  If you can’t squat, kneel on one or both knees, use a pad to avoid stressing the knees.  A garden stool or bench will also get you closer to the ground but remember to face your work without twisting.

If you still overdo it, there is nothing better than a warm bath to relax tired muscles.  If you have muscle pain, a cold pack or ice pack on the sore muscle for 20 minutes every hour for the first 48 hours and perhaps an over the counter anti-inflammatory usually takes care of most strains.  Do not use that body part again for gardening until all the soreness is gone. 

Working in the garden can be an enjoyable activity that you can do for your entire life.  Take care of yourself now to ensure your gardening pleasure well into the future.  For more information on Garden Ergonomics or post-injury rehabilitation call the Colusa Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Department at 458-3287.