3 WAYS TO PREVENT BACK PAIN WHILE GARDENING
Gardening offers the opportunity to experience the outdoors while working on your green thumb. However, it is essential to take the necessary steps to protect your back from injury while gardening. Below are three tips for pain-free gardening: 1. Warm-up first. Like any other physical activity, it is crucial to warm up before gardening. Morning gardeners need to make sure to walk around, or at least be up and moving, for about 45 minutes before starting any bending or lifting. 2. When in doubt, stick your butt out! One of themost commonmistakes gardeners make is with their technique. Your back is incredibly strong and resilient when you maintain its natural curves. In the lower back, the curve you need to maintain is called lordosis. When you stick your butt out, you will naturally increase the curve, a.k.a lordosis, and protect your back from injuries. Whether you are working with a shovel, rake, or spade, it is vital to keep your curves intact. Also, when bending to pull weeds, it is better to kneel or squat so you can maintain the straight spine position and protect your back. 3. Prioritize your safety. You can take simple steps to ensure you are safe while gardening. The most important include: •Take frequent breaks or alternate tasks such as digging, lifting, and walking. Adding in some simple backbends before starting can also help decrease your risk of pain or injury. •Choose the right gardening tools to limit the stress on your body •Use your hips and knees to lift, rather than your back. With our teamof talentedmovement experts, preparing for the gardening season this spring can be enjoyable. Our therapists are here to help make sure you can do what you love! What to expect in physical therapy. Fortunately, physical therapy can effectively treat and/or prevent back pain. Our licensed physical therapists
will determine the source of your pain and then create a plan to resolve it once and for all. Your treatment plan will focus on pain relief, which may include any combination of light exercises, manual therapy, ice and heat therapies, posture improvement, or any other treatment that your physical therapist deems fit. As you progress and improve, your physical therapist will expand on your exercises and stretches by making themmore intensive over time. We will spend one-on-one time with you on each visit, using hands-on techniques that get the joints, muscles, and nerves moving again. We will also design a comprehensive exercise and education program to get you back to comfortably completing your physical goals! Contact FYZICAL today to get started! Are you excited to participate in this year’s spring gardening season? At FYZICAL, our therapists want to empower you to prepare for this activity with a program tailored to your individual needs! Whether you need tips on how to prevent injury, or need help healing from old aches and pains, we are here to help. Contact us today to set up an appointment with one of our therapists! Sources: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006555.pub2/full?h ighlightAbstract=back%7Cexercise%7Cpain%7Cexercis https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/9/468 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673618304896
CALL (561) 331-5508 TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!
BAKED FALAFEL
INGREDIENTS • 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed • ½ cup white onion finely diced • 1 cup fresh parsley lightly packed • 1 cup fresh cilantro • ½-1 tsp sea salt (to taste)
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper • 1 tsp garlic powder • 1 tsp coriander • 2 tsp cumin • 2 tsp baking powder • 2 TBS ground flaxseed • 1 TBS olive oil
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Add chickpeas, onions, parsley and cilantro to your food processor fitted with an “S” blade. Process until well combined. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, baking powder and flaxseed. Process until well mixed and fine. Grease a large baking sheet with oil. Roll about 2 TBS of falafel mixture into balls and then flatten into discs and place on baking sheet evenly spaced. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, flip and bake on second side for 10- 15 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with tzatziki sauce, in a pita, or on a salad! Source: https://joyfoodsunshine.com/baked-falafel/#recipe
www.fyzicalpbc.com | (561) 331-5508
Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5