NEWSLETTER
Do you love to garden but find that persistent pain in your wrists or hands is keeping you from doing all that needs to be done? Although gardening is a great way to spend time out in the warm spring weather while staying active, it can strain your upper extremities. Hands for Living offers several solutions to ensure you don’t get stuck inside. Tendonitis occurs when the tendons — the thick tissue that connects your muscles to your bones — become inflamed, causing pain or tenderness in the joint. Tendinopathy is another common cause of joint pain, occurring when the tendon is repeatedly strained or torn. As a gardener, you’re at risk for both conditions, particularly in the tendons of your hands, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Gardening requires several small, repetitive motions, such as bending over a flowerbed or squeezing pruning shears, that can lead to upper extremity pain. One way to prevent overuse injuries in your hands and wrists is by using ergonomic gardening tools designed to minimize tendon damage from everyday gardening activities. However, if you’re already struggling with pain, the hand and occupational therapists at Hands for Living can provide Don’t Let Tendonitis Keep You From Enjoying Your Garden Ergonomic Gardening Tools, Wrist Splinting, and More Will Keep You Out Among the Flowers!
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several solutions, from splinting to manual therapy.
To learn more about protecting yourself from injuries in the garden, call us to request an appointment today! Choosing the Right Ergonomic Gardening Tools Several ergonomic tools can help protect you from injury while you tend to your plants, flowers, and shrubbery. Some of the most beneficial ones include: • Ergonomic digging tools. Digging can cause abnormal bending, twisting, and stretching of your wrists, leading to pain or injury. You can avoid that strain while scooping out soil or planting flowers by using a curved-handle tool (whether a shovel, scooper, or cultivator) instead of a straight-handled one. • Ergonomic pruning tools. The awkward angle and movement of pruning can strain your arms and shoulders. Companies such as Fiskars use patented PowerGear mechanisms to ease the stress of pruning and increase consumer usability. In fact, many of their tools are included in the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation Program.
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