Bad Back? How to weed out back
pain and sciatica symptoms when gardening or working in the yard. jasmine ann
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If you love your garden as much as I do and you have
backache, pinched sciatic nerve symptoms or one of the many back
pain issues you may be wondering if you can ever garden again. Gardening
can be hard on the back and I thought I would have to give it up forever.
However I discovered that is not necessarily the case…
- Gardening is a very physical activity but there
are lots of things you can do to make it easier. Even if you really
cannot do the physical work you can still take a very active part in
your garden. Also gardening is a great motivator, and wonderful back
care inspiration. If you want to do your
garden and you are dealing with or recovering from, back aches and pains you are much more
likely to keep up with any back care stretches and exercises and be diligent about
looking after your back.
- First do check with your healthcare professional
to make sure it is safe for you to do gardening activities and if there
is anything you should absolutely avoid doing.
- Then look at your garden with a critical eye from
your “bad backs” perspective and if necessary consider a redesign. This
is something many gardeners do anyway once in a
while. If you have persistent backache, back pain or disc problems you
just need to take a few more things into account. You know your back
like no one else does. Evaluate what jobs you find difficult and which are fine for you. Listen to your body and let that be
your guide.
- Consider a low maintenance garden. Plant so that
there are no bare patches of earth where the weeds can grow. Less
weeding equals less bending and less backache. Go for low maintenance
plants and shrubs. Concentrate plants needing more attention in one
area and consider a raised bed for them so less stooping for your back.
Place the area nearer to your house or your garden shed. Your tools will
be closer to hand that way.
- Scented plants are fantastic in raised beds for
everyone to enjoy.
You can even grow great vegetables in large raised
beds and have more control over the environment and soil. Raised beds
at waist height mean less work for your back. If you have a small lawn,
consider gravelling it or using chamomile or other lawn plants.
- When you first get back pain your garden can
suffer as you deal with the initial pain. If your garden has done its
own thing for a while you need to take it in hand. If family or friends
cannot help, consider getting a company in to do the hard graft for you
then you can concentrate on doing the finishing touches. If you share a
garden or have an allotment consider asking if people would swap tasks
with you so you do more of some things for them and they do more of say
digging for you, it’s worth a try!
- Consider a series of raised beds with paths in between so you can move
easily between them to tend your plants. Don’t make the beds too wide
though
as you need to comfortably reach them.
- When gardening with back pain issues warm up
first. Do any back care stretches you have been following, go for a
short walk and treat it like you are getting ready for some real
physical activity …which you are. If it helps you use a heat pad while
you are gardening to keep the muscles in your back warm and less prone
to injury. After gardening do your back care stretches again and get into a warm
bath or shower as soon as you can.
- Frustrating as it is, do a little, rest, then do a
little more. I used to be an all day gardener but now I respect my back
and listen to any little aches and pains and stop before it needs to
shout at me! Vary the activity so you don’t do repetitive tasks which
put a strain on your lower or upper back. So mix it up with a little
weeding, trimming, pruning etc. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY.
- What a pain it is when you just want that big pot
moving a couple of yards. Do wait until you can get someone else to do
it. It is not worth aggravating your recovery from back pain for the
sake of a little patience.
- Let someone know you are in the garden working. If
you do overstrain your back you will want the comfort of knowing someone
will be checking on you from time to time.
- Consider some of the many tools you can buy to
help you if you have general backache, pinched sciatic nerve symptoms,
upper or lower back pain. A small investment in some good quality tools
will ease strain on your back and mean you can be independent in your
gardening
- If the physical work is really too much for your
back at this stage you can do all the design, planning, ordering and
task list. Teach others how to do what you know so they too can grow
from the experience and learn to love gardening. Visit gardening forums
and pass on your knowledge. For the year I could not do any gardening
due to my low back pain and pinched sciatic nerve symptoms I taught my husband, following him round every
inch and he went from being not at all interested... to now loving it
:} Now
I just need to get my garden back...!
- Always think what you CAN DO
not what you can’t
do. You may have back pain but you do not need to give up your
garden. Work out a way you and your back can enjoy it together…
If you are interested in learning
more about a way to get rid of the back pain and sciatica
click here to find out more about Lose the Back Pain System
for great back pain and sciatica relief exercises, back pain
information, support and expertise to help you get rid of the
back pain and sciatica.
Also feel free to visit our other
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