7 Tips To Prevent Low Back Pain While Exercising Your Green Thumb

Weeds are the main bane of gardeners. Waging war against invasive weeds and grasses is a Sisyphean task; plucked out today, back tomorrow. But just as pesky as weeding, there’s another pest of gardeners: low back pain. 

In this article, we’ll cover:

• The prevalence of low back pain while gardening 
• Is gardening worth the risk of injury or pain?
• Causes of low back pain from gardening
• Tips to prevent or alleviate pain if you’re a dedicated green thumb

How Many People Experience Back Pain From Gardening 

All that kneeling, bending and squatting…

Unless you’re a natural-born Buddah, able to sit for extended periods of time in one position, you’ll likely experience back pain from gardening. 

Is gardening a guaranteed recipe for being in the weeds with low back pain (pun intended)? 

Unfortunately, statistics on low back pain while gardening are hard to come by. But here’s what we do know:

Gardening injuries land approximately 400,000 people in hospital emergency rooms every year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Division. 

If reading that statistic makes you want to hang up your gardening gloves for good, take that statistic with a grain of salt. (To the salt, add white vinegar and liquid dish soap; the three together are a potent homemade weed killer). 

The majority of these injuries are the result of accidents such as falls and trips. (Remember to move your rake well out of the way.) Not to mention lawn mower mishaps and such. 

Low back pain and gardening isn’t exactly a vigorous academic research pursuit. But in a study published in Activities Adaptation & Aging, a small group of farmers in Kansas were questioned about their pain levels while toiling in the soil. 

In the study, 17 different garden tasks were observed.  And out of these tasks, almost all the gardeners used the following six body positions:  

• Gripping
• Bending
• Walking
• Lifting
• Reaching 
• Standing

The results of the study revealed that 60% of the participants experienced 10 different types of pain while gardening. Lower back pain was the most prevalent pain (62.5%).

Is Gardening Worth The Risk Of Low Back Pain?

The short answer is a resounding yes, even despite the risk of low back pain. 

Here’s why…

Gardening, at least for senior citizens, is considered a legitimate moderate- intensity physical activity. As such, it meets the recommendation by health experts that people get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days of the week. 

Moreover, studies report that gardeners enjoy better overall physical health and hand function abilities (including hand strength and pinch force) than non- gardeners. Not only that, the weight-bearing motions of gardening such as pushing a mower, digging holes, pulling weeds, and carrying soil, exerts a positive influence on bone mineral density. 

Another reason to get your hands dirty: gardening is supported by research to improve mental health, including depression. 

What Causes Low Back Pain From Gardening?

Convinced that gardening is worth it? Good! Now the question becomes, what are the most frequent causes of low back pain while gardening? 

According to the research study on the Kansas farmers, stooping overburdens  the spine. (Another possible side effect of stooping: dizziness. Prolonged stooping causes more than normal blood flow to the brain.)

In addition, flexed positions such as squatting requires a maximal bending of knee joints and hip joints. This in turn leads to back pain. 

Now, can you guess which gardening activity most often leads to pain in the lower back? (According to academic experts on the subject…)

The answer: digging with a conventional spade. 

In addition, here are other common culprits of developing back pain during or after gardening:

• Repetitive movements: See the 6 most frequent repetitive movements, above.
  
  
• Poor posture: Repetitive movements are risky enough. Doing them with poor form adds to the risk of straining lower back muscles adjacent to the spine such as the quadratus lumborum.
  
  
• Lifting heavy: It’s not just for weightlifters. Picking up bags of soil or mulch—especially with poor form—can injure your lower back.
  
  
• Staying in the same position: Prolonged kneeling, sitting, squatting or standing places undue loads on the lumbar spine. 

7 Tips To Prevent Or Relieve Back Pain From Gardening

If you’re tired of experiencing low back pain from gardening, prevention is everything. 

The Posture Pump® Back Pump® Elliptical Back Rocker™ is one of the best ways to prevent low back pain while digging in the dirt. 

Here’s how it works: While comfortably lying down, the Posture Pump®’s patented dual air-cell pouches lift and stretch your lower back, decompressing the spine while aligning the vertebrae. 

While experiencing the pleasant sensation of having your lower back lifted and stretched, nutrient-rich fluid lubricates the discs in your vertebral column. 

Posture Pump® is supported by several research studies, and anecdotally through thousands of product reviews. 

If you’re an avid gardener, just a 5-10 minute session with your Posture Pump® before and after gardening is all it takes. (Studies reveal that Posture Pump® is also effective for neck pain.)

In addition, here are some other ways to enjoy gardening, pain-free: 

• Yoga: You don’t have to twist yourself into a pretzel to reap the benefits. Practicing gentle yoga a few times a week for as little as 20 minutes may help prevent low back pain.
  

• Pre-gardening warm up movement: Perform yoga or other warm up movements before gardening.
  

• Alternate tasks: Plan on spending an hour pulling weeds? Only 10 minutes at a time. Take a break to beautify your lawn elsewhere. (That ficus tree isn’t gonna prune itself you know!)
  

• Cushion the blow: Use gardening kneeler pads, stools or chairs to reduce spinal torque and lumbar stress.
  

• Take a break: Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your beautiful garden. Pause every now and then for a stretch or just to give your body a rest.
  

• Bend at the knees, not at the waist: The most tried and true advice for any activity. When lifting soil or mulch, use your legs to lift instead of your back.  

Conclusion

Experiencing lower back pain when bending over doesn’t have to come with the turf. We’re so confident that Posture Pump® will enhance your gardening experience, we offer a 60 day money back guarantee. See what other people are saying about Posture Pump® here.