Yard work is a great way to improve your home’s curb appeal and health. It can also put your musculoskeletal system at risk. These yard work safety tips will help protect your muscles, bones and joints, so you can prune and mow for seasons to come.
Warning: Pains and Strains Ahead
Bending, kneeling and repetitive movements are expected when working in the yard or garden. Unfortunately, these movements can cause muscle strains, joint sprains and other orthopedic pains after yard work.
A few yard work and gardening injuries include:
? Back pain. Bending or lifting heavy plants or carrying power equipment with improper body mechanics may strain your lower back.
? Gardener’s knee (prepatellar bursitis). Frequent kneeling inflames the small sacs that serve as cushioning inside the knee.
? Neck pain. Poor posture or looking up or down frequently in the yard can lead to neck pain.
? Overuse injuries. Performing the same movement repeatedly can damage your muscles and joints. Common overuse injuries include carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger and tendonitis.
5 Yard Work Safety Tips
Whether using garden tools or mowing the lawn with a push or riding mower, you can often prevent gardening injuries. Here are a few tips to reduce your risk of injuries.
- Adopt good habits. By maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and getting regular exercise, you help your body function properly and reduce your injury risk.
- Buy new tools. Old tools may cause pain. Ergonomic tools make it easier to practice yard work safety.
- Lift and stand properly. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back. Also, practice good posture in all activities, whether in the yard or on the couch.
- Start slowly. As with any exercise, stretching a few minutes before starting yard work is a good idea. If you’ve not been in the garden for a while, garden no more than 90 minutes in a day.
- Wear protective gear. You can wear gloves and pants to protect against thorns. Also, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests wearing kneepads to reduce wear and tear on your knee joints.
Garden and Lawn Injury Care
Even when taking caution during yard work, you can get injured. Thankfully, you can treat many yard-related injuries in the comfort of your home.
? Change activities. If a certain activity causes pain, avoid it or find a new technique that moves your joints differently.
? Strengthen your body. Stronger muscles help your body recover. They also help prevent future injury.
? Use RICE. Gardener’s knee and other minor orthopedic injuries often improve with rest, ice, compression and elevation (RICE).
Severe orthopedic injuries, such as broken bones, require emergency medical care. Call 911 and get to the emergency room following a hard fall or other injury that leaves you bleeding or in severe pain. Also, if your injury lasts longer than a couple of weeks, contact your primary care provider or an orthopedic surgeon.
Feeling aches and pains after cleaning up your yard? Visit Union Health’s Bone & Joint South Ortho Walk-in Clinic and Sports Medicine Clinic located at 4601 South 7th Street in Terre Haute, where a caring professional can help you recover and return to your grass and garden.