Safe Gardening. Tips from Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehab for avoiding back pain or strain

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CONTACT: Steven V. Dubin, PR Works, (781) 582-1061, sdubin@prworkzone.com,

DATELINE: NORWELL MA… Finally, warmer weather has arrived and the emergence of tulips and daffodils only spurs on the urge to get out and start working in the garden. But, gardeners take heed. Drs. Scott Chapman and Carol DeFranca of Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehab, share their tips to help you avoid back pain or strain from gardening.

Careful lifting. Whether you’re turning over the soil, digging a hold to plant your new tree or shoveling dirt from one place to another, be sure to practice proper lift technique. Set your feet so they are aligned with your hips. Keep your spine in a neutral position by slightly arching your spine. Pull in your abdominal muscles toward your spine and tense them slightly. Bend from the hips and knees and do not twist your lower back when you lift the shovel. Breathe out during each lift. Don’t stand still and heave the dirt, but walk over and dump it where you want it to go. Better yet, use a wheelbarrow!

Slow and steady gets the job done. Just as gardening can be an absolute pleasure, it can also be “back-breaking” work. Whether you’re shoveling heavy earth, hoeing, raking or building a stone wall, pace yourself. Gardening is not a competitive sport and if you try to rush things, your muscles will tire out long before the job is done and you risk serious strain or injury.

Taking breaks. It’s very important to balance heavy lifting, bending, raking and manual lawn mowing with rest periods, especially as the weather continues to heat up. If you’re digging and shoveling, do so for about ten minutes, but then follow it with a two to three minute rest period. Do not shovel or lift heavy materials for longer than 15 minutes without taking a break. You risk overexertion and pulled muscles.

Stay safe in the sun and heat. Although that sun sure feels great after a long, cold winter, it can take its toll on your body in the form of heat stroke, sunburn and muscle exhaustion. Remember to replenish your fluids (drink at least one glass of water for every hour spent gardening) and use sunscreen. Avoid muscle exhaustion by taking those breaks and not pushing yourself to complete every single gardening task in one afternoon.

Tools of the trade. To avoid strain and maximize your gardening efforts, use as many tools of the trade as possible. Have a wheelbarrow? Be sure to use it! Instead of carrying plants, full watering cans, bags of mulch, grass seed or fertilizer, put them in a wagon and wheel them around. Take care of your knees by kneeling on a cushioned gardener’s knee pad. Instead of lifting and lugging a coiled garden hose around, use a garden hose wheel that allows you to roll up the hose with a simple turn of a handle. Get rid of those nasty weeds by using a “weed weasel” tool with rotating metal tines to loosen weeds for easy removal. You can also use a “weed weasel” to prepare soil for planting or to work in fertilizer.

“Gardeners typically spend an enormous amount of time performing maintenance tasks such as cleaning up debris, relocating plants and generally bending, lifting and moving things from one place to another. It can be taxing on the body, in particular, to the back and heart. People of any age can experience strained muscles and ligaments or suffer from overexertion. It’s very important to take precautions to prevent strain or injury,” explained Drs. Carol DeFranca and Scott Chapman, the husband and wife chiropractic team at Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehab.

About Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehab
Catering to patients throughout the South Shore, Drs. Chapman and DeFranca, Board Certified Orthopedic Specialists and Chiropractors, provide a unique combination of chiropractic care, manual muscular therapy, sports rehabilitation and nutritional counseling.

Both hold Post-Graduate Faculty status with the Southern California University of Health Sciences, NUHS and Charles University School of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic having conducted over 200 seminars and workshops all over the world. In addition, Drs. Chapman and DeFranca have authored and published journal articles, text chapters and instructional videos on spinal rehabilitation and chronic pain management.

For more information, please call Dr. DeFranca or Dr. Chapman at the Norwell practice at (781) 982-5566 or visit their website at www.NorwellSpineAndSports.com. Norwell Chiropractic Spine and Sports Rehabilitation is located at 144 Washington Street, Route 53 in Norwell, MA.