25 May Protecting Your Knees From Injury While Gardening

Protecting Your Knees From Injury While Gardening

As the weather begins to get warmer and gardening season starts, it is important to protect your knees, which are susceptible to injuries from gardening. This is why you must be as prepared as possible to protect your knees from potential injury or pain while gardening. It is actually easier than some people may think to protect their knees, and here are some helpful tips to do so.

One very important thing to do before beginning to garden is to stretch. Although it may seem that gardening is not that stressful of a task, the pressure that you place on your knees is. This is why it is important to stretch the muscles that help support and protect your knees, a simple stretch of the quadriceps and hamstrings is a great precautionary routine to do before you begin your gardening. Another preventative technique to protect your knees from injury is to vary the different activities of gardening that you are doing, such as taking a break from being on your knees to standing up and doing something else like hanging plants. You can even arrange your garden so there is less kneeling that is needed to be done. For example you can raise your garden or have hanging plants so you do not need to kneel as often. If you do have to kneel down to garden, a great protective method to relieve the stress on your knees is to buy a protective kneepad so you’re not directly on your knees and it is somewhat comfortable. Also, utilizing a stool can be extremely beneficial for not only increasing your overall comfort but to ensure you are not putting too much pressure on your knee joints as well your back.

When all’s said and done and you have finished gardening for the day a great thing that can be done to ensure that there won’t be any injury is to rest and ice your knees for about 15 minutes right after gardening. This will help any swelling that has taken place as well as alleviate any pain.

With all of these preventive methods that can be used no one should have to worry about potential injury or pain that may be caused as a result of gardening. There should be no reason not to get out there and create the most beautiful garden as well as get some decent exercise while enjoying the warm weather.
Lake Country Physical Therapy & Sportscare PC offers the very best physical therapy in Ontario County. We treat all your wants and needs with our trusted and experienced Physical Therapists and staff. To begin to feel pain and stress free, start your Physical Therapy journey today and schedule your evaluation by calling (585) 396-1400.