Most of us who enjoy outside work in the garden or on the lawn are right at the stage of moving from spring to fall with a lot of cleanup activities.
If that describes you too, a few chiropractic tips may be helpful to avoid sore knees, shoulders, and back pain.
The American Chiropractic Association suggests caution with hedge clippers, leaf blowers, and weed trimmers. Know how to use your tools to avoid back and neck pain or more serious muscle tears and strains.
All of that repetitive motion can have a detrimental impact on the body.
Whatever equipment you use, make sure it has a strap that you can put over your head and resting on the shoulder that is opposite from the tool. Keep adjusting your stance and switch sides often.
Take frequent breaks to prevent muscle fatigue. Be sure to bend from the knee when picking up and putting down equipment. Keep objects close to the body (not at arm’s length).
Finally always do warm-up and cool-down routines with simple stretches to fend off injury.
Include a Visit to the Chiropractor
A trip to the chiropractor can also help you take on the summer gardening work, along with every other task that you might run into in the spring to summer transition.
The first visit will include spinal manipulation to evaluate spinal health and pinpoint areas of pain. The chiropractor will do a comprehensive review of medical history, and discuss your activity level and typical daily schedule.
The chiropractor’s goal will be to provide pain solutions and determine the best ways to maintain daily activities without using surgery or medication.
In contrast to a doctor’s visit where there is an appointment, often followed by advice for home care or prescription of medication, the chiropractor’s approach typically establishes ongoing care. This keeps the chiropractor informed to help spot new developments before they become problematic.
For many, this approach leads to suggestions for ways to reduce stress, relaxation exercises, review of job habits, and choosing new sports or exercises to stay active.
One of our newer patients described our chiropractors as ‘health mechanics’ who are always on call. They are the type of person who is adventuresome and always on the go, so the idea of a health mechanic as backup holds a great amount of appeal. Several times their chiropractor’s advice kept them going at full tilt, but not so fast that they crashed or suffered further injuries.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, make an appointment with one of our chiropractors now and find out more.