Spring is here and summer is coming soon. When the weather is right, it truly is a great time of year where we British go out of our way to enjoy it. When the sun is out we like to get to the beaches or parks, get to the beer garden or get to your very own garden instead.

As a Chiropractor in Witney we are aware that this week coincides with the RHS Chelsea Garden Show. It is an excellent event that really inspires a lot of people to get into their garden and put some work into it.

Getting outside, enjoying the fresh air and working your body is fantastic and gardening helps millions of us do it every year. As great as it is, we do want to urge a tiny bit of caution.

We get a lot of people coming through our doors and as a busy chiropractor in Witney we see a lot of gardening related injuries.

Leading Chiropractor in Witney warns against poor posture whilst gardening and how to avoid injury

Being a busy chiropractor in Witney we know that poor posture whilst gardening can see you suffering quite badly with pain. Luckily we are keen to offer you some simple advice;

• Firstly please ensure you’re wearing appropriate clothing. It is to check that whatever you wear is not too tight or restrictive and that you’re wearing supportive footwear.
• Before starting out you should warm up and stretch a little bit. This will help loosen you up a bit.
• Even though you’ve stretched its still a good idea to start with lighter activities first before moving on to bigger and heavier workloads.
• When pruning bushes and trees you need to get as close as possible to the job and avoid being too far away and over stretching.
• When doing heavy lifting, remember to bend your knees and keep your back straight
• Kneel or squat instead of bending when working on the floor
• Don’t lift anything too heavy on your own and if there are a lot of heavy things to shift, it might be worthwhile investing in a garden trolley
• Take regular breaks and drink plenty of water to keep your body healthy and active.

If you want further advice on how best to avoid injury when you’re gardening this summer of if you require treatment for any back pains, please get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.