Nip Pain in the Bud this Spring
Is the risk of injury holding you back from participating in your favorite springtime activities like gardening? At Darien Physical Therapy, our therapists are movement experts who can help you recover from an injury and even show you how to avoid one in the first place.
Springtime is finally here, and with it comes a renewed sense of energy and drive to reach your fitness goals! After a long winter of being stuck inside, it’s more important than ever to stay on top of your health and make sure you’re engaging in physical activities.
However, at Darien Physical Therapy, we understand that the fear of injury can prevent you from initiating the steps needed for a healthy and active lifestyle, especially if you’ve been injured in the past.
Request an appointment with Darien Physical Therapy today to learn more about how we can help with injury prevention and recovery this spring!
How Gardening May Cause Back Pain
Back pain typically develops due to an injury, poor postural habits, or repetitive movements like bending. This is why back pain is so common with spring gardening. The repetitive bending, digging, and reaching needed for gardening will often lead to lower back pain.
Although it is not often viewed this way, gardening is similar to a sports season. Just like athletes need to train in the offseason to have a productive, competitive season, gardeners need to learn how to prepare for their season.
Fortunately, our physical therapists can teach you the strategies to resolve injuries, old and new, and how to get into “gardening shape.”
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 the most common mistakes 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.
- Use your hips and knees to lift, rather than your back.
With our team of talented movement 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!
🌱 Gardening Back Pain Prevention Quiz
Test your gardening safety knowledge!
Exercise of the Month
Figure 4 Bridge
(Glutes, Hips)
Begin on your back. Bend your knees and keep your back flat on the ground. Cross one leg over the other so that your legs make a “4”. Gently, contract your abdominals and hold to keep your back flat as you move up into the bridge position. Remember to breathe. Gently, squeeze your butt muscles and lift your hips off the ground. The goal is to have your hips aligned with your knees and shoulders. 3 Sets, 10 Reps.
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 them more 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!
Healing Well So Pain Resolves Faster
By Christine Updegraff, MS, Bellwether Wellness
When pain shows up—whether from gardening, an old injury, or a new strain—the priority is simple: feel better and get back to what you enjoy.
At Darien Physical Therapy, hands-on care, guided movement, and personalized treatment plans are the foundation of recovery. These approaches are designed not only to reduce discomfort, but to restore strength, mobility, and confidence so you can return to your daily activities safely.
Alongside physical therapy, there is another important piece that often gets overlooked: supporting the body’s natural healing process.
When tissues are repairing—whether muscle, joint, or connective tissue—the body has increased demands for specific nutrients that help rebuild and restore function. If those needs are met, healing tends to progress more efficiently. And when healing improves, pain typically begins to ease as a result.
This is where targeted nutritional support can be helpful. For example, Designs for Health Arthroben is formulated to support joint health and connective tissue repair. Rather than acting as a pain reliever, it works by helping the body rebuild more effectively—supporting the underlying process that leads to improved comfort over time.
For many patients, this kind of approach can mean a smoother recovery, less lingering discomfort, and a quicker return to the activities they love—whether that is gardening, walking, or simply moving through the day with greater ease.
The goal is not just to reduce pain in the moment, but to support your body so that pain has less reason to persist in the first place.
Interested in whether Arthroben is a good fit for your recovery? Stop by the front desk at Darien Physical Therapy Sports & Fitness to learn more or purchase.
Stop by the front desk, call 203-309-0045, or visit www.bellwetherwellness.com to book an appointment.
Healthy Recipe: Anti-Inflammatory Turmeric Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1 banana
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
Add 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 cup frozen mango chunks, 1 banana, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 pinch black pepper, and 1 teaspoon honey to a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy immediately. Add ice if desired.
Contact Darien Physical Therapy Today To Get Started!
Are you excited to participate in this year’s spring gardening season? At Darien Physical Therapy, 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?highlightAbstract=back%7Cexercise%7Cpain%7Cexercis
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/55/9/468
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140673618304896
