Yard Work and Back Pain: 3 Helpful Tips
By Virginia Laird
Yard work is what some many consider a necessary evil. Maintaining a beautiful yard takes long hours of dedicated work. While the outcome is lovely, the process can be painful. Pulling and tugging on movers, raking leaves, and pruning the bushes can prove to be more than your back can handle. Chiropractors offer a variety of tips to help you keep back pain away while you work to beautify your yard. These tips include:
- Stretch before working
- Take breaks often
- Avoid heavy lifting
Stretch Before Working
Chiropractors advise that stretching before working in the yard can be release tension and help prevent pain. While there is no need to stretch for endless hours or use a yoga mat, simple stretches have proven to help manage back pain before it starts. Before you head out the door to work in the yard, take time to carefully stretch, eliminating back pain before you ever get to work.
Take Breaks Often
For those who feel the need to get their yard work done in a matter of just a few hours, chiropractors would suggest otherwise. Instead, it is beneficial that you take breaks often. These breaks allow the back to rest from lifting heavy objects. During these breaks you should find a place to get off of your feet in the shade and hydrate too. This can be helpful in keeping back pain away.
Avoid Heavy Lifting
While most yard work does not require super heavy lifting, there is plenty that does. When you are faced with such, it is better to ask for help than try lifting heavy objects all alone. Sharing the heavy load can help prevent serious injury from the joints of your spine. Start right now making a habit of asking for help with the heavier tasks.
For those who struggle with back pain, even after these tips, it could be time to begin routine chiropractic care. Chiropractors work to establish a personalized plan to both manage and prevent your pain. If you are ready to make routine chiropractic care part of your healthcare regimen, stop by The Joint Chiropractic in your neighborhood. With more than 475 locations nationwide, you are sure to find one nearby. And with no appointment necessary, getting started can be as simple as dropping by on your way home from work.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Highlands Ranch, Colo.