Why Your Back Hurts After Gardening
If your back feels fine most of the week but starts complaining after a morning of gardening, you’re definitely not alone. Gardening can involve a surprising amount of bending, twisting, lifting, kneeling, reaching and repetitive movement; often for much longer than we realise. Spending a few hours weeding, digging, pruning or moving pot plants can place more load through your lower back than your body is used to, particularly if you suddenly go from very little activity to a big gardening session.
One of the biggest reasons your back can hurt after gardening is doing too much of one movement for too long. Bending over a garden bed, for example, might not feel difficult for the first 10 minutes, but holding that position repeatedly for an hour can leave your back muscles and surrounding tissues feeling tired and uncomfortable. Add in lifting bags of soil, moving pots, pulling weeds or using a shovel, and the total workload can add up quickly. This doesn't necessarily mean you've damaged something, sometimes your body is simply responding to a sudden increase in physical demand.
Another common issue is how we lift and move things in the garden. Gardening often involves awkward objects that don't have convenient handles, such as bags of mulch, pot plants, buckets or garden equipment. We may bend, twist and lift at the same time, particularly when we're trying to get something done quickly. Instead, try keeping heavier objects closer to your body, using your legs and hips where possible, and turning your whole body rather than repeatedly twisting through your lower back. You don't need to have “perfect posture” every time you garden, either. Your back is designed to move, the bigger consideration is gradually building your tolerance to the movements and loads you regularly ask it to handle.
Taking breaks can also make a big difference. If you're spending the day in the garden around Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads or elsewhere across the Bellarine Peninsula, try changing tasks rather than staying in the same position for hours. Spend some time standing and walking after kneeling or bending, swap between lighter and heavier jobs, and give yourself a few minutes to move around before returning to the garden bed. Think of gardening as physical activity rather than something your body should be able to do endlessly without preparation. If you know you're planning a big gardening weekend, a little regular walking and strength work during the week can also help build your general movement capacity.
If your back pain after gardening keeps returning, is becoming more limiting, or doesn't settle as expected, an individual assessment can help work out what may be contributing. At Flora Chiropractic in Ocean Grove, assessment can look at your movement, strength, mobility and the activities that tend to aggravate your symptoms, before providing appropriate hands-on care and practical strategies to help you get back to the things you enjoy. You don't necessarily need to stop gardening; the goal is to help you understand what your body is asking for and gradually build your ability to do more of it comfortably.
