Avoiding Aches and Pains from Gardening

It is no secret that working on an allotment or in your garden can take a toll on one's body.

The physical demands of gardening require lifting heavy bags of soil, bending low to weed and plant, and twisting to reach those hard-to-get spots, all contributing to the build-up of aches and pains.
With all these physical demands of gardening, it is no wonder that many gardeners turn to osteopathy for relief.

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• Before you start, limber up a little, a quick walk perhaps.

• Do some stretches for your spine and limbs.

• Use a wheelbarrow to move heavy tools or materials.

• Frequently change what you are doing to avoid stiffness.

• Don't stay on your knees for long. Always kneel on a soft pad, or use a combined pad and frame that helps you stand back up.

• Think about your posture. Ensure you are lifting correctly, do not twist your upper body. Instead, move your feet to turn your whole body.

• It is better to take a break than to break yourself. Have a short break before you are feeling the aches and pains.

• Keep moving afterwards, another short walk, perhaps. Do some more light stretching.

But how can we at Trowbridge Osteopaths help with the aches and pains from your hard work on your allotment or garden?
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Osteopathy is a form of alternative medicine that emphasises the principle of the body as a unified and interconnected system and that problems you experience in one part of your body can also affect other areas. As Osteopaths, we use a wide range of techniques, including joint mobilisation, stretching, massage and manipulation, to restore balance and improve the body's function.
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Before delving into how osteopathy can help with gardening-related aches and pains, it is essential to understand what causes them in the first place. Gardening involves lots of lifting, bending, and twisting, which can strain the body's muscles, joints, and ligaments. Over the years, this repetitive strain can lead to muscle imbalances, joint inflammation, and reduced mobility.
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As Osteopaths, we can help by alleviating the aches and pains of gardening that you experience by managing the underlying issues that are causing them. We will use hands-on techniques to identify and treat those areas of the body that are out of alignment or not functioning optimally. For example, joint mobilisation can help improve joint mobility and reduce inflammation. Soft tissue techniques, like massage and stretching, can help release muscle tension and improve circulation. By restoring balance and function to the body, osteopathy can help reduce your pain and improve your overall health and well-being.
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To illustrate how we at Trowbridge Osteopaths & Wellbeing Centre can help with gardening/allotment-related aches and pains, let us consider the case of a 60-year-old gardener from Westbury who has been experiencing pain in their lower back and hips.
They have been working on their allotment for several hours a day, several days a week, for the past few months. The pain is worse when they bend over or lift heavy objects. After visiting us in our clinic, the patient was diagnosed with sacroiliac joint dysfunction. This condition occurs when the joint connecting the pelvis to the spine becomes inflamed or misaligned.
Our treatment plan used mobilisation techniques to improve the range of movement of his hip joint and reduce inflammation in the surrounding tissues.
In addition, we also recommended specific exercises, stretches and activities to help strengthen the muscles around the joint and improve posture. After a few treatments, the patient reported significantly reduced pain and improved overall mobility.
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So if you want us to work on your aches and pains, we will use a hands-on approach to manipulate your muscles and bones, which can be incredibly helpful for relieving tension and improving overall mobility. We can also advise on how to avert future injuries while you're working in the garden.