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By Bend Total Body Chiropractic Exercise

How to Prevent Gardening Injuries

With April showers bringing May flowers, you’re in for a lot of gardening this season. You may even find yourself venturing into the yard in honor of Earth Day.

Before starting, remember that gardening is a significant undertaking and can even count as a workout, depending on that day’s chores. So, it’s important to treat this springtime activity like any other physical pastime and maintain your body with the best chiropractic care in Bend.

Potential Gardening Injuries

After staying inside this winter, your body may not be used to the exertion needed to care for the yard. And unused muscles can easily tire out, leading to aches, pains, and muscle strains. Common gardening injuries include:

Many of these conditions result from overuse, repetitive motion, or improper form and can be easily avoided.

Safety Tips for Gardening This Spring

You can prevent many gardening injuries with these easy steps before, during, and after your project:

  • Always warm up — Whether you take a brisk 10-minute walk or do some jumping jacks, warming up is extremely important for loosening up joints and muscles.
  • Stretch it out — Be sure to do easy, low-impact stretches after your warm-up and once you’ve completed your tasks for the day. Focus on your wrists, shoulders, arms, thighs, sides, and back.
  • Lift with your knees, not your back — When lifting objects, always bend your knees, keep your back straight, and your core engaged. If you need to turn, always use your feet to pivot towards the direction — don’t twist.
  • Stay hydrated — It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny, cloudy, or breezy. Your body will lose a lot of fluid while you’re working. Not to mention, water keeps your muscles, joints, and spinal discs lubricated.
  • Take frequent breaks — Don’t try to tackle the whole yard in one day! Taking breaks and completing select tasks each day can prevent overuse of muscles and repetitive stress injuries. Likewise, switching your positioning every 20 minutes can reduce the potential for strain.

Treat Your Gardening Injuries with the Best Chiropractic Care in Bend

You should expect some soreness after a hard day’s work. If the pain persists, it may be time to see a professional. Chiropractic care and massage therapy in Bend can reduce pain related to gardening. Chiropractic adjustments will address spinal misalignments that occur after hours bent over in the planting and weeding.

Your massage therapist in Bend uses techniques that release muscle tension to prevent spasms and decreases inflammation. If you’ve sustained an injury, massage therapy also increases blood flow to the affected area to encourage quick healing.

If you have pain or soreness from gardening, schedule a visit to our clinic to prepare your body for the rest of the season.