gardener's 'back'
lyn
Fellow gardeners: I threw my back out for the first time in my life!
After three days of most fervent weeding, it went out when I reached for
a chair! I need gardener's advice on back care that will get me back
into the garden as fast as possible. This must be a common problem
amongst those of us who weed. Help folks! Advice appreciated, Lyn
Karen Crook
Lyn - There is absolutely only ONE thing that will help a
"thrown-out back", and that is complete and total rest.
Well, ok, muscle-relaxers/painkillers help if your doctor
will be so kind as to perscribe them. I'm currently recovering
from a pinched sciatic nerve in my hip, so I do sympathise
with you. This is the first time I've been able to tolerate
sitting upright at my computer in over a week.
Relax awhile, in bed if you can stand it all day, and leaf
through some of those fall bulb catalogs that are appearing in
the mailbox so often these days. Dream of better days to
come.
I hope you feel better soon.
Karen Crook
cro...@erols.com
Mo & Glen Lee
On Fri, 20 Jun 1997 22:40:05 -0700, lyn <l...@ma.ultranet.com> wrote:
>Fellow gardeners: I threw my back out for the first time in my life!
>After three days of most fervent weeding, it went out when I reached for
>a chair! I need gardener's advice on back care that will get me back
>into the garden as fast as possible. This must be a common problem
>amongst those of us who weed. Help folks! Advice appreciated, Lyn
Lyn:
Backs are tricky things, what works for one person may not help
another. That said, here are some things that help me, I am an active
gardener and have a bad back:
- Wear knee pads, and always, always go down on one or both knees
if you are hand-picking weeds, or weeding under a bush or in some
awkward position while pruning or deadheading, etc.
You'll almost never see me working in the garden without wearing
knee pads.
- If your back is particularly tender, moderation is the best policy.
Spend 1/2 hour weeding or whatever, then rest for 10-15 min. To
rest, go to the living or family room and lay down on the floor,
and elevate your legs on a stool or chair. While laying down,
every couple of minutes squeeze your knees to your chest for 15
to 30 seconds.
- Be proactive in your back care. Stretching usually is good for
bad backs. I do yoga for 30 minutes or so every day
and this helps tremendously.
- I also have a small (10" high) plastic stool that I take out to
the garden every once in a while. I sit on this if I'm doing a
bunch of deadheading or pruning in one area. The stool's legs have
large flat bottoms, so the stool doesn't sink into the grass and
doesn't sink too much into the soil.
For very bad backs, advice given in rec.gardens has been to go
to raised bed gardening. I've also seen a message in this newsgroup
saying the Garden Claw is a handy tool to use if your back is sore.
Good luck, Glen in Regina
Wilona1
In article <33AB69...@ma.ultranet.com>, lyn <l...@ma.ultranet.com>
writes:
>Fellow gardeners: I threw my back out for the first time in my life!
>After three days of most fervent weeding, it went out when I reached for
>a chair! I need gardener's advice on back care that will get me back
>into the garden as fast as possible. This must be a common problem
>amongst those of us who weed. Help folks! Advice appreciated, Lyn
>
>
I can sympathize with you -- but not much advice I can give. I get back
spasms now and then; for absolutely no reason at all sometimes! Take it
easy, take some kind of pain killer or muscle relaxer if you have any, and
try to get in some walking on a fairly level surface (adjust the pace so
you're comfortable - don't push yourself).
Last time I was at my doctor's office, after we discussed the fact that I
occassionally get these spasms, he gave me a prescription to use as
needed. Haven't needed it for several months now but nice to know it's
there when I DO need it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Martha E. Knowles --- Wil...@aol.com
http://members.aol.com/wilona1/index.html
Pages updated June 6, 1997 - NEW: Handmade Baby Afghans!!!
Gardening - Genealogy - Newsletter - Links
John & Melinda Sheridan
Ouch!!!
As someone who has been a professional gardener for almost twenty
years, and has had recurring lower back pain for most of them, you have
my sympathy, and here are a few tips that have been helpful to me.
1. Never spend more than one hour working at the same task in
same psition.
2. Always make sure that you do a good stretch (no bouncing
during the stretch and hold the positions for 20-30 secs.)
3. Ice your back for 15-20 mins after work.
4. Pelvic tilt exercises are the best I have found for
reducing lower back pain and stiffness.
5. I see a chiropractor monthly, and since I started seeing him
app. 10 years ago, I have only had touble severe enough
to cause me to miss work once or twice a year, and never for
more than one or two days at a time.
Never take your back for granted, especially if you have had some sort
of pain/injury. Get professional help/advice, self diagnosis is silly
and dangerous. There are many forms of treatment other than traditional
western medicine which are as effective for minor back problems, and
significantly less expensive and invasive.
John Sheridan
Colwood BC, Canada
http://www.royalroads.ca/docs/gardens/home.html
Rodger Whitlock
From the divine hand of lyn <l...@ma.ultranet.com> fell this pearl:
>Fellow gardeners: I threw my back out for the first time in my life!
>After three days of most fervent weeding, it went out when I reached for
>a chair! I need gardener's advice on back care that will get me back
>into the garden as fast as possible. This must be a common problem
>amongst those of us who weed. Help folks! Advice appreciated, Lyn
Get the book "The Back Doctor" by Hamilton Hall. (There is a new edition out
last year with a slightly different title.)
The book is excellent, based on extensive medical experience, and has sold
steadily, at least in Canada, for twenty years or so.
Dr. Hall discusses chiropractic, acupuncture, etc as well as normal medical
treatment and physiotherapy. Contrary to what you might expect, he says that
95% of the people who come to him are *not* candidates for back surgery.
But it is important to see a physician soon: if you have a herniated disc
interfering with motor nerves, it is important to get if fixed before the
muscles in your legs start to atrophy. If, on the other hand (and more likely)
you merely have an irritated facet joint with associated muscle spasms, quite
simple therapies will do the trick. But let your doctor make the definitive
diagnosis.
----
Rodger Whitlock
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
on beautiful Vancouver Island
Frank Miles
In article <33AB43...@erols.com>, Karen Crook <cro...@erols.com> wrote:
>Lyn - There is absolutely only ONE thing that will help a
>"thrown-out back", and that is complete and total rest.
>Well, ok, muscle-relaxers/painkillers help if your doctor
>will be so kind as to perscribe them. I'm currently recovering
>from a pinched sciatic nerve in my hip, so I do sympathise
>with you. This is the first time I've been able to tolerate
>sitting upright at my computer in over a week.
As one of the many with flaky backs (and having a P.T. wife) I assure
you that this is *not true*. I've had really nasty sciatica, too,
so sympathize!
My personal recommendation is to find a *good* chiropractor. They
are quite rare -- many seem to deal more often in snake oil, IMHO,
but a good one can genuinely help. There are clinical studies to
support chiropractors on this score.
>Relax awhile, in bed if you can stand it all day, and leaf
>through some of those fall bulb catalogs that are appearing in
>the mailbox so often these days. Dream of better days to
>come.
Prolonged bed rest is definitely not the thing to do, though it
may be necessary to limit some of your activities temporarily.
See a good M.D., see a good P.T. or chiropractor.
Most importantly, determine a good course of exercises to do
regularly so that you can reduce (if not eliminate) this from
happening again! And do them!
>I hope you feel better soon.
Yes!
>Karen Crook
>cro...@erols.com
>
>
>lyn wrote:
>>
Gary Slusser
I've had back problems from time to time. If I wait long enough, it gets
better eventually!. Not this last time. I didn't know what to do; but
after a month, I knew it had to be either a chiropractor or an orthopaedic
surgeon. I ended up with a chiropractor and was scared to death. Members
of my family had been to them, but I had visions of flying across the room
with all that "bone-crunching" stuff!! Well, I guess I got lucky. I ended
up with a diagnosed sacroiliac/sciatic condition; but after 3
treatments/day for three wks, plus moist heat and ultrasound, I am finally
pain free. Chiropractors are not for everyone, but I thought I'd share my
experience with you anyway! <grin> Good luck.
Linda Slusser
Karen Crook <cro...@erols.com> wrote in article
<33AB43...@erols.com>...
> Lyn - There is absolutely only ONE thing that will help a
> "thrown-out back", and that is complete and total rest.
> Well, ok, muscle-relaxers/painkillers help if your doctor
> will be so kind as to perscribe them. I'm currently recovering
> from a pinched sciatic nerve in my hip, so I do sympathise
> with you. This is the first time I've been able to tolerate
> sitting upright at my computer in over a week.
>
> Relax awhile, in bed if you can stand it all day, and leaf
> through some of those fall bulb catalogs that are appearing in
> the mailbox so often these days. Dream of better days to
> come.
>
> I hope you feel better soon.
>
Roberta Morris
For gardeners, and anyone else who has back troubles, I most heartily
recommend Feldenkrais work. This system of bodywork teaches one to sit,
stand, kneel, bend, crouch, etc. in ways that won't end up hurting your
back. It is usually taught in a series of eight classes and is best
studied with a certified Feldenkrais practitioner , who has completed an
arduous course of study and belong to the Feldenkrais Guild of America.
I cannot recommend this more highly; I never would have been able to
garden without injurying myself had I not learned the "repatterning"
that Feldenkrais work achieves. Incidentally, this is not something
which one must continue to practice (such as yoga); rather, it replaces
dysfunctional patterns of movement with more natural ones, which
eventualy become second nature.
Roberta
______________________________________________
Roberta Morris <perennia...@miningco.com>
Guide to Gardening with Perennials at the Mining Company
Come visit at <http://perennials.miningco.com>
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Find someone who'll love both you and your garden!
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Anthony Perez
One of those black back things that go around your waist like the ones
the employees at Home Depot where will help you keep your back from
being injured..also learn the proper ways to sit ,stand, bend etc that
dont hurt your back....
Due to Spam Please remove the REMOVETHIS from my e-mail address