GREENFIELD, Wis. – For many people, spring means it’s time to dust off the garden shovel, break out
the gardening gloves and start pulling weeds in preparation for planting the garden. However, spring is also a
time when physicians see an increase in the number of patients with back and neck pain. To help people get
ready for gardening, and to reduce the strain on their backs that can accompany spending time in the yard,
Advanced Pain Management has put together five tips to help gardeners enjoy their hobby, while also
protecting their backs.
“After a long winter spent indoors, many people look forward to the first signs of spring as a time to get
outside and start planting,” said Dr. Roman Berezovski, a pain management specialist with Advanced Pain
Management. “However, if your body is not used to a lot of physical activity, a long day spent in the garden
can lead to a painful back. We encourage people to ease into gardening, use proper techniques and tools and
take frequent breaks, which can result in a more pleasant gardening experience. Spring is a great time of year,
and we want people to enjoy the season and their favorite hobby without pain.”
Dr. Berezovski offers the following five tips for people to get the beautiful garden they are looking for,
without the unwanted back pain.
1 Use proper tools – Gardening tools that are the appropriate height and weight for the gardener will
help reduce the need to hunch over when raking or to over-exert oneself with a shovel that is too
heavy. Before buying gardening equipment, test it out in the store to see how it feels, and make sure
it is the proper size for the gardener and the type of work that will be done. There are many
ergonomically designed tools that help make gardening a more pleasurable experience.
2 Take frequent breaks – Gardeners should ease into gardening and take regular breaks. Every 20-
30 minutes, people should get up, walk around, take a drink and stretch. These frequent breaks will
give people time to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy gardening. Overanxious gardeners who attempt to
tackle large projects too quickly are more likely to injure themselves. Setting realistic goals,
knowing your limitations and taking time to stop and smell the roses – literally – will make time
spent in the garden more enjoyable.
3 Limit body-rotating activities – The twisting and turning often involved with pulling weeds,
potting plants and shoveling soil can aggravate the muscles in your back. Use caution when doing
tasks that involve a lot of rotating at the waist, and turn your whole body, rather than just the upper
torso. Back muscles are generally not prepared to handle a lot of sudden, jerky movements that can
be involved with gardening, and as such, it may result in the form of sore, pulled or strained muscles.
4 Get low to the ground – Whenever possible, get down to the level at which you are working.
Bending at the waist to pull weeds or pick up items can lead to aggravated back muscles. Kneeling
down on the ground when planting flowers and bending your knees when picking up objects will
help reduce the strain on your back. In addition, ask for help if a bag of soil is too heavy, or if a task
is too difficult for you to perform alone.
5 Exercise year round – To get ready for spring and gardening, people should do some form of
exercise and stretching before heading out to the garden, to keep their muscles limber and
conditioned during the off-season. People who exercise throughout the year are less likely to injure
themselves while gardening, as their muscles are more accustomed to physical activity.
“By using the proper tools and techniques and by listening to your body, this gardening season can be an
exciting and enjoyable time of the year,” said Dr. Berezovski.
Advanced Pain Management is the largest pain management group in the country, with 19 boardcertified
physicians offering the most advanced techniques for pain control. Advanced Pain Management
physicians operate out of 27 locations in metro Milwaukee, the greater Madison area, Sheboygan, Racine,
Green Bay and Kenosha.
