Chiropractic Tips to Help Amp Up Summer Gardening
Most of us who enjoy working outside in the garden or on the lawn, are right at the stage of moving from summer to fall with a lot of clean up activities. If that fits you too, a few chiropractic tips might be helpful to avoid sore backs, shoulders and knees.
The American Chiropractic Association advises caution with weed trimmers, leaf blowers and hedge clippers. Know how to use your tools to avoid neck and back pain or more serious muscle strains and tears. All of that repetitive motion gives the body a pounding.
Whatever equipment that you use make sure it has a strap that you can put over your head on the shoulder that is opposite from the tool. Switch sides often and keep adjusting your stance. Take frequent breaks to avoid muscle fatigue. Be sure to bend from the knees when you pick up and put down equipment. Keep objects close to the body, not at arm’s length. Finally always do warm up, cool down routines with simple stretches to avoid injury.
Include a Visit to the Chiropractor Too
A visit to the chiropractor can also help you handle the summer gardening work, along with every other task that you might run into in the summer to fall transition.
The initial visit will include a spinal manipulation to assess spinal health and identify areas of pain. The chiropractor will do a complete review of medical history, and discuss activities like the gardening and your regular daily schedule.
The chiropractor’s goal will be to seek pain solutions and the best ways to maintain daily activities without using medication or surgery.
In contrast to a doctor’s visit where there is an appointment, often followed by prescription of medication or advice for home care, the chiropractor’s approach usually establishes ongoing care. This keeps the chiropractor in touch to help spot new developments before they become bigger problems.
For many this approach leads to weight loss, relaxation exercises, review of job habits, and suggestions for ways to let go of stress and choose new exercises or sports to stay active.
One of my friends described this as a ‘health mechanic’ who is always on call. My friend is adventurous and always on the go, so the idea of a health mechanic as backup has a lot of appeal. Several times the chiropractor’s advice kept him going at full tilt but not so fast that he crashed.
If this sounds like something you would like to try, make an appointment with a chiropractor now and find out more.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of julie corsi
