For many, gardening is more than a hobby—it’s a therapeutic connection to nature and a rewarding way to spend time outdoors. But while nurturing plants, it’s easy to forget to nurture yourself. Long hours spent bending, lifting, digging, and weeding can take a toll on your back and joints. That’s where chiropractic care comes in.
Common gardening movements—such as crouching, twisting, or lifting heavy bags of soil—can strain the muscles, joints, and spine, especially if you’re not using proper technique or it’s been a while since you did any strength training. Over time, these repetitive motions can lead to misalignments, stiffness, or even injury.
How Chiropractic Can Help
Chiropractic adjustments can improve mobility, reduce inflammation, and correct posture issues caused by garden work. Many people find that chiropractic care not only relieves pain but also improves balance and flexibility—making gardening more enjoyable and less physically taxing.
Tips for Spine-Smart Gardening
- Do a light warm up – a few laps of walking around the garden and some gentle stretching to get the body moving and ready for work.
- Stay hydrated! It is easy to get lost doing a job out in the sunshine without drinking enough water.
- Use raised beds or kneeling pads to reduce bending.
- Take frequent breaks and stretch your back and legs.
- Lift with your legs, not your back, engage your core.
- Alternate tasks to avoid repetitive strain.
Whether you’re planting flowers or harvesting vegetables, a little chiropractic support can help keep your green thumb healthy and pain-free. After all, the only thing that should ache after gardening is the muscles you didn’t know you had—not your spine.
Struggling with your back in the garden? Let us take a look…
Dr Amy Faulkner, Transform Wellness, Epsom, Surrey
