Good Gardening Practices

With summer finally here, the urge to get outside to build and maintain our beautiful gardens is one that most British Columbians can’t resist.

However, it’s important to remember that many injuries can result from this favoured past-time. Naturally one thinks of back and knee pain that can arise from all the bending and pulling that is synonymous with gardening but in actuality many of gardening’s repetitive movements like raking, weeding, digging and pruning can cause stress to the smaller muscles of the hands, wrists and arms.

According to one American study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), over 400,000 outdoor garden-tool-related accidents are admitted into Emergency rooms every year.

Some of the more common hand, wrist and arm injuries that can occur from gardening are;

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – Hand numbness and pain result from increased pressure on the nerve.

• Dequervain’s Tendonitis – This condition is a painful inflammation on the thumb side of the wrist.

• Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow – A painful inflammation occurs in the inside (Golfer’s elbow) or outside (Tennis elbow).

Gardeners everywhere should take the time to practice these tips to ensure pain-free gardening and to keep their favoured past-time an enjoyable one.

• Stretch – You wouldn’t run a marathon without stretching or warming up and your hands, wrists and arms are full of muscles that deserve the same attention, so remember to take the time to stretch and warm-up pre and post gardening.

• Always Wear Gloves – Not only will wearing gloves reduce blistering, but gloves will also help protect your skin from the fertilizers, pesticides, bacteria and fungus that can often be found in soil. Even the smallest cut or lesion can develop into a major infection when exposed to soil. If leather gloves are worn they can also offer protection from insect, rodent, or snake bites, poison ivy etc.

• Take Frequent Breaks – The hands small muscles are easily fatigued so it is important to vary garden tasks every 15 minutes or so and to have a brief rest period in between so that the same muscles are not over used during repetitive movements such as raking, digging, planting or pruning. You can also try alternating hand use to relieve discomfort during some of the repetitive movements.

• Use the Right Tool – Hands shouldn’t be used in place of a tool. Use a hoe instead of your hand when digging, this will also help you avoid any sharp buried objects or debris that may cause a laceration or puncture to your hand. Avoid tools with form-fitting handles or finger grips molded into the handle. More often than not these “form-fitting” molds will only fit one size of hand perfectly and will lead to pain, soreness and calluses in larger hands and reduced grip strength and pressure in smaller hands.

• Use the Right Tool the Right Way – Practise good “posture” with your wrist/hand when using garden tools. Try holding tools with your knuckles parallel to the handles. Try to maintain a neutral position with your wrist, avoiding odd angles, awkward wrist motions and constant forceful gripping. Maximum grip strength occurs when the wrist is in a relaxed or neutral position and a recent study by Fiskars® showed that people lose up to 25% of their grip strength when the wrist is bent.

For an assessment or to meet with a therapist call 604-520-7375 or visit www.handtherapycentres.com