by Bob Niklewicz PT MG  

Whether you are a “Budding Gardener” or an “Old Sage”, the wonderful experiences we feel from the enjoyment of developing our garden should not be painful ones. In our passion to make our gardens look great, we often sacrifice our bodies to get that last weed pulled or to dig one more hole. Sadly, the next day we are often too sore to get out of bed or scratch our nose because of muscle aches and pain.                                   

It is my intent to share information about your body through the eyes of physical therapist / ergonomist / Master Gardener. My goals are to provide possible ways to reduce garden injuries and pain, and to keep you safely doing what you love to do in the yard. “It hurts good when I am done” should not be your excuse for not knowing some basic ergonomics that can help protect you from needing to skip days of play or work or using analgesic options.

Did you know you have 209 bones in your body? The word bone in Greek is “osteon.” It is commonly used as a prefix to refer to issues of the bones. Each bone has two ends and where they meet another bone, that area is is called a joint. In Greek, joint = “arthro.” If joints are overused they become inflamed. The Latin suffix for inflammation = “itis.” Each joint can suffer from wear and tear with inflammation pain and that is called arthritis. More specifically, it would be osteo-arthritis.

The most common joints involved are knees, hips, shoulders, elbows and wrists/fingers. These are the ones most often used for forceful activities. The diagram below is what is typically found at the joint that has been damaged.

The body also has over 600 muscles. The medical prefix for muscle is “myo”. Each muscle has a tough connector at each end called a tendon. If a muscle is inflamed it is called myositis.  The terms osteoarthritis and myositis often refer to  overuse of those joints and muscles. The good news is that with a little planning, using the right tool and knowledge, much of the pain from those conditions could be minimized while in the garden. 

The diagram of the Patellar tendon at the knee is commonly injured.

Spot Quiz: From what you have learned from the information above, what would you call it if the tendon was inflamed? The answer is patellar tendinitis. Tendonitis is also acceptable spelling.

These are just a couple of the things that keep your body moving and a couple of examples of what can go wrong, mechanically, to your body. Ergonomics is the science concerned with the design, use, and user education for reduction of injury while gardening or at a desk. Ergonomic awareness will help reduce the chances of injury yourself. 

Ergonomics is not a quick fix to all the problems of pain and soreness of an injured gardener. Ergonomics is something that will neither improve your endurance or your morale by just talking about it. It cannot reverse degenerative changes to the body or guarantee that you will not get hurt again. 

Ergonomics will give you a way to start looking for habits, postures, tools and activities that may be a source against muscle and joint discomfort. In the long run, smart ergonomic practices enhance the aftermath of a great day in the yard when enjoying a glass of your favorite iced beverage instead of applying that ice on what hurts. 

Ergonomic awareness in the garden will give you options to improve the efficiency of performing yard projects and promote safety. It can help reduce the problems of fatigue, joint and muscle soreness. 

Did you know? By the time you turn 70, your heart will have beat some two-and-a-half billion times (figuring on an average of 70 beats per minute.) No wonder we feel a little tired at the end of the day. Thank goodness for the powerhouse of life in our chests.

References: UW Extension-Gardening Exercises and Body Mechanics https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/sewmg/files/2016/07/LLGExercisesMechanicsHandout-Feb-2017.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwiV3-Trjbv4AhXTD0QIHSeZAz8QFnoECAYQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3zRO6pyGgkPQ5I9LXInyGR

ACE Physical Therapy & Sports medicine institute-Working on the garden and preventing injury https://www.ace-pt.org/ace-physical-therapy-and-sports-medicine-institute-working-in-the-garden-and-preventing-injury/

Photo credits: https://springloadedtechnology.com/guide-to-severe-knee-osteoarthritis/ ; fix-knee-pain.com

Napa Master Gardeners are available to answer garden questions by email: mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. or phone at 707-253-4143.  Volunteers will get back to you after they research answers to your questions.

Visit our website: napamg.ucanr.edu to find answers to all of your horticultural questions.