The winter is almost over, which means the warmer spring weather is right around the corner. It also means that many residents in Putnam, Connecticut and surrounding areas will be working in their gardens. Although gardening isn’t considered a high impact sport, like football or hockey, thousands of people each year are actually injured while planting flowers, fruits, and vegetables and tending to those plants regardless of their age. The good news is that there are a few things you can do in order to remain safe and sound while toiling in the soil.

For example, you should never sit back on your knees because it not only stresses your knee joints, it also forces you to utilize your hands in order to balance. That means both your hands and wrists end up bearing the weight whenever you shift from kneeling to standing. We highly suggest that you use a small stool or bench instead. It’s also incredibly important for you to use good body mechanics when picking up heavy items like bags of stones, soil and or mulch. That way, you will avoid injuries to your back and upper extremities.

So, what are some good body mechanics? First and foremost, use your legs to lift. You should also keep the item or items that you’re lifting as close to your body as possible. Do not, and we repeat, do not bend at the waist. Don’t push it too much. You can always use a wheelbarrow to move heavy items. It’s also important to take frequent breaks, and stretch before, during and after working on your garden. You may not think that gardening is a workout, but you need to treat it as one. All of that bending and stretching tends to take its toll on our bodies.

For example, long periods of repetitive motions can lead to tendonitis and or tennis elbow. Many gardeners make the mistake of drinking a few cocktails while working in the garden. That’s not advised. You need to keep in mind that gardening is just like exercising. You wouldn’t drink an alcoholic beverage at the gym. The same holds true while gardening. The main reason you shouldn’t drink alcohol while gardening is because it can make you unaware that you’re doing things like sitting back on your knees, and or bending at the waist instead of using your legs when lifting things.

If you do become injured while gardening and are in need of physical therapy or rehab, please contact our office today to set up an appointment on a day and time that’s convenient for you.

There are many things that make Quiet Corner Physical Therapy different. First and foremost, our dedicated staff is completely devoted to making your physical therapy experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. We pride ourselves on providing each and every one of our patients with industry leading individualized care and treatment plans. The number one concern of our compassionate staff is your well being. Quiet Corner has the unique ability to utilize the most effective treatment techniques and services including cupping, paraffin, dry needling, mobility tools, E-stim, TENS, taping, traction, and joint/soft tissue mobilization just to name a few.