If you suffer from chronic lower back pain, it can make it difficult for you to take part in even basic hobbies. For example, if you're an avid gardener, but weeding leaves you suffering with pain for days afterward, it may be time to consider adapting your weeding process to ease the strain on your back. Here are a few tips that may help you preserve your hobby, enjoy your plants and limit the residual pain.
Elevate Yourself
If you've got a lot of weeding to do, you might find that sitting in an elevated position can help to reduce the pressure and strain on your back. To do this, invest in a bucket with a wide base that you can flip upside down and sit on to support your hips.
Put your feet flat and firm so that your legs are shoulder-width apart. Rest one elbow against the inside of your knee to add some support and stability. From this position, your knee will provide some support for your arm. This shifts the anchor point of your body weight to your arm instead of your back.
Sit Flat on the Ground
If your back injury is mild or you don't have a bucket, you'll just want to be attentive to how you sit on the ground. Position yourself so that your legs are bent at the knee. Put one leg behind you and the other in front of you. By placing your legs this way and sitting flat, you'll keep your shoulders square. This keeps your spine straight. When you lean over to pull weeds, keep your back as straight as you can to limit strain on your back muscles.
Work From Your Hands and Knees
If you're most comfortable on your hands and knees when you work in the garden, it's important to keep your spine as straight as possible. That keeps your shoulders square so that they support your weight well. Shift your weight from the pelvis when you pull weeds, that way you put your entire body weight behind it, not just your back muscles.
If gardening is your passion, you won't want lower back pain slowing you down. Luckily, there are ways to enjoy your garden without spending days in pain afterward. Along with the support of a pain management specialist or chiropractor such as TLC Chiropractic, these tips will help you stay out in the garden while minimizing the amount of residual pain that you face.
Share28 July 2015
Do you remember the first day you woke up with back pain? If you are like most folks, you probably tried to write off the problem until you realized that the issue was impacting your mobility. Back pain is serious, but not everyone takes the issue seriously at first. Not only can a little back spasm make it hard to shower, walk, or even sit comfortably, but back pain can also be a symptom of a deeper problem. The goal of my blog is to educate the public about back pain, so that you know how to tell when you are really in trouble.
