Pull Weeds, Not Your Back


With warmer weather finally here, a lot of people will start spending more time outside planting, mowing the lawn, and pulling weeds. With all that bending, twisting, reaching, and pulling, gardening can really cause a physical strain on your body. Therefore, we are seeing an increased number in patients who are experience stiffness, pain, and even injuries caused by doing yard work. Here are some tips that can help you have a pain- free gardening season.


1.     Warm up and Stretch: It is important to stretch your muscles properly before you gas up your mowers. It is important to remember when you are doing any form of exercise, you should always stretch before and after it. Start by warming up your muscles, we recommend taking a short, brisk walk. The areas of the body that are most commonly effected from yard work are the back, upper legs, shoulders, and wrists. Therefore, the stretching should target those areas. Doing some simple stretches before and after yard work will help prevent injuries, pain, and stiffness caused by yard work.

2.     Reduce Repetitive Motions: As hard as it may be, I always suggest patients alternate tasks to help break up the repetitive motions that cause muscle strain.

3.     Use Supportive Devices: When gardening make sure to use pads that are properly cushioned to support your knees. Don’t be afraid to use back brace or stabilizer to help reduce the chance of injury or pain in those areas. Also, wear the right kind of shoes; though to many of you, it’s a no-brainer, but it’s very important to remember. Good shoes are not only essential because yard work generally involves stepping through rocks, mud, and weeds but the right shoe also helps maintain your back. We recommend wearing a comfortable closed-toe, non–slip shoe with good arch support. If you’re not sure if your shoes meet that standard, feel free to bring them in at your next appointment and I will gladly evaluate them for you!

4.     Don’t Bend, Kneel down: When you are bending for a long period of time, the ligaments in your back become overstretched and start causing pain and discomfort. To avoid this from happening, keep your back straight.

5.     Pace yourself and Take Breaks: Yard work is hard work! Don’t overwork your body by trying to rush through and get it done. Treat it as you would any other workout. When your body is showing signs of exhaustion take 5 to 10 min break periods. Most importantly stay hydrated!

6.     Cool Down: When you finish your yard work, make sure you remember to do some cool down stretches. Your cool down stretches should not feel painful, do not force your body to over extend in order to feel soreness or a tight pulling sensation. Stretch gently and smoothly; do not bounce or jerk your body in any way.


Careful planning and diligence can help you enjoy the finish product after all your hard work without back pain taking away your rewarding feel. If you do experience pain or discomfort, call us at (331) – 248 – 5777.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

COVID- 19

Image
COVID- 19 UPDATE As most of your already know that due to COVID-19 Bucek Chiropractic has temperately closed our office to all in-patient appointments. However, we still have staff checking emails and voicemail regularly. We also have someone in person at the office at least once a week. We want to ensure the safety and health of all our patients and employees. We are doing everything we can to ensure that and try to see everyone in person again soon. We will contact all patients once we know more details about when we can start scheduling again. Until We Reopen This Is What We Can Do For You You can still call or email us to per-purchase products we carry and then pick them up at our office. Items such as, CBD oil, vitamins, melatonin, Dr. Hoys, and more.  We are offering FREE  posture screening from the comfort of your own home! All you need to do is email us some basic information about yourself and two pictures.   Click here for more information ...
Read more

Dr. Bucek on Medical Staff for AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tournament in Chicago 2018

Image
Dr. Bucek spent Labor Day weekend in Chicago.  Dr. Bucek was selected by the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP) to be part of the Volunteer Sports Medicine Team at the AVP Chicago Volleyball Gold Series Tournament! Dr. Bucek and other Medical Professions that were also selected spending the weekend   provided treatment for the athletes during the event.  Dr. Bucek has a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians Meaning, in addition to the five years of education to become a chiropractor, Dr. Bucek had an additional five years of Sports Medicine training. He earned his Diplomate from the American Chiropractic Board of Sports Physicians™, making him 1 of 6 to do so in Illinois. He is also internationally recognized by the Federation Internationale de Chiropractique du Sport (FICS) as an Internationally Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician (ICCSP), allowing him to continue his eligibility to provide care at ...
Read more

Dr. Bucek is Now Certified by The Fédération Internationale de Chiropractique du Sport (FICS)

Image
A select few are qualified to treat athletes on an international-level at a World Games, Olympics, or other sanctioned events. Dr. Daniel Bucek, a sports chiropractor in Batavia, was recently certified by the F éd ération Internationale de Chiropractique du Sport (FICS)—an international organization comprised of national chiropractic sports councils from around the globe whose purpose is to set the international standard of care for world athletes at sanctioned events. As an Internationally Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician by the FICS, Dr. Bucek is now an internationally recognized to care for athletes at world events. “The FICS is responsible for the training and certification of sports chiropractors, world-wide, to serve at international sporting events,” says Dr. Bucek. “This is a tremendous honor since the FICS ensures that the sports chiropractors on staff have the appropriate aptitude to care for athletes at a world event.” Dr. Bucek is a Sports Chiropractor for...
Read more