Over 240 million people visited physicians’ offices in 2006 with back, knee and shoulder problems and quite a few of these injuries were blamed on those who garden frequently. GardenToolbox suggest the best possible ways to avoid an unwanted trip to the physicians’ office or doctors.
Evesham, Worcestershire, UK : It’s well known that gardening can be quite a strenuous task, especially if you’re out there for several or more hours a day. It can cause injuries just like any other manual labour job or hobby, so it’s best to take precautionary steps to avoid an unwanted trip to the doctors complaining about joint ache.
GardenToolbox, one of the UK’s leading online garden equipment retailers knows about these injuries and problems very well indeed. Several people in the company are keen gardeners and they’ve all been subject to some kind of injury relating to their gardening habits in the past. They’re currently trying to raise awareness of the injuries that can be caused and just how simple it is to prevent them.
Gabi Stringer, a GardenToolbox employee commented on some of the things she has learned through years of gardening: “The problems that occur from gardening usually sprout from some of the most common things we do; crouching and kneeling to get at our plants are often the biggest contributors to injury. I had severe discomfort in both of my knees after spending the majority of my evenings in the garden last summer and had to undergo some physiotherapy to get them right again; at my age, I felt quite embarrassed by it.”
“The best tips to avoid these common injuries and problems are to change position often; getting up every 20 or 30 minutes and stretching or doing a lap around the garden will reset the joints and take pressure off them for a minute or so. Simple accessories like a garden kneeling pad will benefit your knees and the rest of your body by taking some of the direct pressure away from your knees.”
Prevention is the best way to avoid these kinds of injuries; however, most people don’t seek help or advice until they already have an injury. That’s the sole reason that GardenToolbox is trying to promote the risks of gardening as the summer season quickly approaches.
If strenuous work is being carried out (heavy lifting or digging), it’s strongly advised to take a break every hour or so and maybe more frequently for those over 60 or those who are unfit and not used to such work. Everyone is also reminded to lift from their legs and not with their back; this will prevent a lot of lower back injuries which can crop up often.
Get more gardening advice on the GardenToolbox blog which can be found here.
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