Look after your joints - Don’t overdo it with the trowel!

Speak to anyone who works with back and joint injuries and they’ll tell you Spring is a busy time. After months of semi-hibernation over the winter, we all want to rush out and catch up on those jobs in the garden.

But there are simple steps you can take to help avoid an injury - check out these tips from local chiropractor Fiona Webb:

• Treat gardening like normal exercise - you need to warm up and warm down.
• Start with the lighter jobs, like mowing the lawn, and if you are pruning, use long handled secateurs.
• Don’t twist – if you have to use a ladder to reach trees, shrubs or fences, treat them like dancing partners
• always face them and move the ladder regularly. And always try to have someone standing at the base!
• If laying a patio, keep the slab close to your body and bend your knees. It is sometimes better to bend only one knee - your supporting leg gives you a position of strength.
• Dress appropriately – don’t wear tight, constricting clothes.
• Spend no more than 20-30 minutes on any one thing and take regular breaks.
• Pain is a warning sign that should not be ignored – if you start to ache, stop what you are doing!

And if you do hurt yourself, seek advice from a spinal specialist.

“Chiropractic is best known for treating back and neck pain,” says Fiona, “but patients also consult chiropractors regarding a variety of other conditions. Treatment involves gentle, specific spinal movements to allow joints that are stiff to begin moving properly.”

Please click here for a short video explaining gardening tips and posture.

Please contact Fiona to book a chiropractic appointment at Kingsbridge Chiropractic Clinic or Nature’s Larder in Ivybridge.