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leisa_in_md

Aches and pains advice?

leisa_in_md
12 years ago

I know this is off topic, but as someone recently mentioned, you all are so friendly and supportive! I'm "only" 40, but am really starting to feel the aches and pains of gardening. I have back and joint issues no one can "fix" and I was wondering what you all do to help you continue to garden? It's not debilitating, but it is starting to really get to me. And I have a LOT of stuff I want to do!

I just got a garden kneeler, and OMG does it help! I can stand back up now... LOL! I'm trying to take lots of breaks, and stretch and stretch and stretch...

Do you all have any tools (aside from other humans!) or tricks you swear by that help you do more, or at least enough, with less pain? I'm coming to the realization that "suck it up" isn't a healthy strategy anymore... lol

Thanks!

Leisa

Comments (31)

  • drippy
    12 years ago

    I'm 56, and also have back and joint issues. Add to that a sensitivity to NSAIDs, so medicine is basically out.

    Since I have started strength training at the gym, it's done a lot to alleviate the back issues - not fixed them totally, but it sure helps. And my mantra in the garden: Pace Yourself. It's easy to overdo - all the gardens do not have to be weeded in one day. Get up frequently even if you do have a kneeler, and do something else. If you are making a new garden, do it a couple of shovelfuls at a time; barring that, hire a teen to help.

    Hope that is helpful; unfortunately, I have no easy solution.

  • leisa_in_md
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks -- just hearing that helps :) I know there's no easy solution, just hoping to keep this up as long as I can!

    Leisa

  • morz8 - Washington Coast
    12 years ago

    Ditto what Drippy has told you (I'm 6 yrs older). Plan for gardening, just like you would plan for skiing or any other activity - don't run out with the first nice weather after sitting in front of your computer all winter and try to put in 8-10 hours in the garden :)

    Space out your work, but keep up with exercise in general. Ride a stationary bike, swim at your Y or health club, stay fit otherwise so you aren't attempting to tackle your garden with weak or unused muscles.

    I have to get clear down to weed, plant - my orthopedist has said bending from the waist is incredibly hard on hips, so I do lots of crawling around on hands and knees. I keep a rigid sided 5 gal bucket close, use it to carry hand tools, new plants, then fill up with weeds and clippings....and I use a hand on each side of that for getting back up :)

    Just in general, if you have to carry something heavy, carry it close to your body and on one side rather than out front of you. Keep your tools sharp and clean and that includes your shovel. But if you have compacted ground to turn and loosen, you might find a long handled garden 'fork', the kind you can step on to insert into the soil, then rock back on the handle to loose soil, easier than a shovel...

    Most of all just take it slow until you are conditioned. Don't hurt yourself, its so frustrating to strain or sprain something then have to rest a few days when the garden is calling you.

    Drippy, I find I can't take Nsaids either and I keep forgetting to ask/tell my doctor. I tried them two years ago for backache and my feet swelled of all things! Just takes two, and I have fat feet and ankles (at the bottom of my 5'1" 115# frame)

  • melvalena
    12 years ago

    I'll tell you what my mom told me: DON'T STOP MOVING! ONCE YOU STOP YOU'LL NEVER GET STARTED AGAIN.

    If you can tolerate NSAIDs, take them, and give a prayer of thanks that you can. Otherwise Arthritis strength Tylenol.

    The best thing my ortho did was correctly diagnose my shoulder and arm problems.. it was actually a neck issue!

    I've had to slow way down, and pace myself. Like Drippy said. You don't have to do it all at once and some days you just can't do anything at all. :( Its ok.

    Ice tends to help me more than heat, but thats because its more of a joint/nerve issue than a muscle issue.
    Sometimes I alternate the ice and heat if the nerves over react and cause muscle spasms.

    The one drug that does me the most good is a simple muscle relaxer before bed. It helps me relax and get a good nights sleep. Sleep does a lot to help you deal with constant pain.

    Using smaller tools helps too. My hands and shoulders can't tolerate the weight of the larger tools.

    Don't lift or carry anything you don't have to any longer or further than you have to. I love my wagon, I use it a lot. It has its own parking place in the garage. :)
    Do what you can, but call for help with the big stuff so you can still do the little stuff. :)

    When all else fails... a nice rum and coke, or wine spritzer or cold beer makes you take a break and you don't care that you can't finish the job!

    Relax and enjoy what you have been able to do. Maybe concentrate on having at least one area that always looks nice. Then sit your chair where you can always see it, and turn you back on the parts that need more work.

    Its kinda like always having the living room clean even if the rest of the house is a disaster. You can always go sit in the living room and feel good about it. :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: wagon similar to mine

  • northforker
    12 years ago

    I am the queen of "cart" gardening as, at 50, my knees are shot and I can not "kneel" in the garden at all.I have had knee trouble since I was a teen and by 40 I was searching out these carts. I have so many different kinds!The tractor seat kind (too big overall), the scooter kind by STEP 2 (very very sturdy, but a touch low for me as I have long legs), the Ames lawn buddy (loved it until the top gave in) and current favorite, the brown Suncast scooter (similar to the lawn buddy, but the top fits OVER the bottom (instead of on it), making collalspe less likely.

    I combine my scooting with long handled hand tools. Best investment I ever made was an english gardening spade recommended by Donn, a WSer active on here a few years ago. It has a t-topped wooden handle (lean on the T to get up) and a good strong triangle cast metal spade at the end. I dig holes with it,dig up plants with it, etc - all from a sitting postion on my cart.

    Aside from these tools, Aleve (12 hr) makes a huge difference for my comfort. Since I work full time and can only garden Sat and Sun, I limit myself to taking just the one pill twice a week during the season. I take it just as soon as I come inside (dinnertime) and it does enough to keep me comfortable that evening. The best is the next morning, where it has fully kicked in overnight and soothes all the aches and pains. Before I discovered these "magic" pills I hated waking up the next morning - so sore, so stiff. But they are NOT good for you (my husband, with a kidney conditon, is not allowed to take them at all...) so take the least amount you can.

    It will also just get better as the season goes on and your "winter tired" body gets more stretched and toned.

    Also...get some vino in! And, oh yeah, a hot tub if you can manage it!

  • leisa_in_md
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you, thank you, thank you! I need to go cart shopping! I have a wheelbarrow, but I'm short so the lifting up is hard, and it's hard for me to push it.

    Love the garden fork tool, too! I've been using a shovel on hard clay and rock. Never thought of a fork! It's added to my list. I want to add another bed and this may do the trick.

    And yeah, I know NSAIDS are bad... I'm an Advil junkie and I've been trying to cut down. I wish there was something that didn't make other things worse! I've never tried Aleve. I may give it a shot since it lasts so much longer.

    Do any of you leave your carts outside in the elements? I don't have a garage, and our shed is at the top of the backyard hill (GRRRR)... and it's hard for me to keep going up and down the hill. I've ruined more tools out of lazyness... lol! I guess I could use a tarp. :)

    OK -- off to WS more seeds and make a gadget wish list :)

    Leisa

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    All excellent advice. I'm a family doc originally, and now do hospice full time, but I'm approaching the same issues you've all mentioned. It's true that the NSAIDS are not well tolerate by many, and become more and more dangerous as we age and take other medicines for other medical problems. Just to repeat what's been said: GO SLOW. Cold muscles are less flexible and are more likely to be damaged/injured. Ideally we would all warm up before gardening, just as if we were doing a work out--which we are! Stay hydrated. Always take frequent breaks for a drink. This will help to carry the toxins away from the muscles and minimize inflammation. If you can tolerate NSAIDS, take them with food as soon as you finish working, or after 4 hours of work--whichever comes first. Early in the season, try short bursts of work. Get out early and rake one bed the first day, two beds the second day, etc. Never make hauling a mountain of mulch your first gardening job of the season. In fact, if possible, do your heavy mulching in the fall when you're in your best shape. In spring you can rake the mulch away from certain areas to allow them to warm up, or to direct sow seeds. But that way you can move the mulch in a more controlled/limited fashion. Use power tools when appropriate, or hire help or find volunteers for the tougher jobs. Use wagons, as some have already suggested, for moving everything--even very short distances. Don't overfill leaf bags or wheel barrows. Many small loads are less likely to cause injury than a few large loads. Rake leaves into small piles and pull a wagon around to pick them up. Don't rake the whole yard into one big pile.
    If you over do it or injure a body part, ice is the best treatment for the first 48 hours. This is when the internal microscopic bleeding and swelling occurs as the body rushes to repair the damage. Ice slows things down and minimizes the swelling and subsequent pain. After 48 hours, ice and heat alternating can help. Or you can switch to moist heat for muscle spasm relief. Gentle massage is also invaluable.

    I'm running out of ideas. Take care of yourselves out there. But have fun.

    Martha

  • adamark
    12 years ago

    There is one more think that no one has mentioned yet - soaking hot bath. I also work full time and my gardening is only over the weekend. I'm trying to take a day of vacation here or there, depends on the weather. So, those days I have to use to the limit (many times much over the limit). After day like that, Motrim and hot bath. Next day, I still hardly can walk but, few weeks later, what a satisfaction.

    Of course, now, Sun evening, I'm exhausted. My new bed extension is ready and looks just beautiful. Almost done with WSing. I know, bit too early for zinnias and cosmos, but, they have to survive.

    Also, I have moved my containers and I've noticed a LOT of sprouting. I'm talking a lot, making me a bit nervous, isn't too early?

  • northerner_on
    12 years ago

    I try to be pro-active about these things. When I started having my aches and pains my Family doctor told me not to worry about it unless the pain 'stays' so I ignore the minor ones. But I stay active all winter taking walks each day if possible. I have a stretch band and do some weight bearing exercises each day. I daily do some squats and lunges. I do not do these things in any organized fashion - just a few minutes here and there, maybe while watching the weather on TV, while waiting for my kettle to boil. I also take one teaspoon of good quality cod-liver oil each day (not the capsules). When I started having recurring daily knee pains, a friend recommended this and it really worked for me. He had been in the same situation, and has actually started skiing again after the cod-liver old regimen. I think the exercise is key for keeping the muscles in shape - good muscles keep the joints well supported. If I have a strenuous day in the garden, I take a good hot bath after - it seems to prevent soreness the next day. I do not take any prescription drugs or pain killers of any kind, and hope to keep it that way. I have a friend who is a nurse and she instilled in me 'bend those knees' and to not bend directly from the waist to do any gardening. So if I need to be 'down' for any length of time, I use a mat, and always go down on one knee for spot weeding. These are just some of the things that work for me.

  • kimka
    12 years ago

    If you are still in the make new beds stage of gardening, I have one secret for you: raised beds. As my knees and back started to give out, I started making the new beds raied beds, using dry stack stone walls. I'm only sorry that I didn't do it from the begining. It makes gardening so much easier on the body, not to mention easy to keep the path mulch easy to spread and keep in place.

  • ripley529
    12 years ago

    I use a one step stool. I sit on it and weed with a long handle weeder. Works great. Weeding is my biggest garden chore every year. I've taken to using Preen once I have an area done, saves me repeat jobs.

  • pat4750
    12 years ago

    Because I have reached the beginning of the golden years (66), I have had to make some adjustments to my gardens. In addition to all the great suggestions above, as you do your spring cleanup, mentally make a note of which plants or chores are causing the most problems for you. For example, I have several Nepeta 'Walker's Low' which I love BUT they really require 2-3 trimmings per season; in spring i don't mind it at all but in July/August with their accompanying heat and humidity, it's just more than I can do. So I'm gradually replacing them with plants that offer color but less maintenance like grasses, sedums or calamint which attracts the pollinators, smells great but only needs cutting back in spring and again after main flush of flowers.
    I'm also gifting my beautiful daylilies 'Apricot Sparkles' because to look really good they need weekly deadheading, deadleafing. I'm replacing them with a combo of liriope and coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset' - similar form and color, much less maintenance. At the end of each season, I try to make a list of which plants pleased me, attracted pollinators, hummers, butterflies,and required little care.
    I find I'm replacing some flowering plants with plants that rely on foliage color for interest and some annuals like salvias and alyssum that really don't require deadheading for repeat bloom and can be easily started by wintersowing.
    It's hard to part with some of my longtime favorite perennials but with lifting and dividing, deadheading, etc, it's becoming more than I can do readily.
    Sydney Eddison's book "Gardening for a Lifetime" has been very helpful in getting me started and I refer to it frequently for more ideas.
    Gardening is therapy for me and with the the philosophy that "a moving target is harder to hit" I want to keep at it until I'm "planted".

  • bakemom_gw
    12 years ago

    cymbalta for diabetic neuropathy....fantastic drug - took away all my pain and some of my numbness and tingling.

  • posieh
    12 years ago

    Hey gardeners....I'm 81 and still in the garden. Have to admit via a Scooter! Difficlt to walk as one ankle is ailing and I walk bone on bone.
    also, hav COPD. I can stand and do some walking and do so with my walking sticks. One good "walking stick" is my old ski poles! They are pointed and poke into the ground for stability. Also, long handled dandelion diggers work. I do have a Hubby who can do the heavy digging but also hire a fellow to help me once in a while. I can weed with a long handled weeder from sitting on my scooter.
    Spring is the busy time with lots of dividing and planting to do. Giving up is just too painful an option.

  • aklinda
    12 years ago

    Both my knees are shot and I can't walk very far or stand very long. I like the tractor scoot and have two of them - one that I keep on each side of the house. I also keep duplicate sets of tools on each side of the house so I don't have to do so much running for things. I have added seating throughout my yard so if I run out of gas there's a place close by to sit. I use a wagon to carry heavy things as previously mentioned - I got one of those with the big fat tires and drop down sides. Most of my yard that is not flower bed is bare dirt so it's easier to pull the fat tired wagon through it. Advil is my friend and I definitely have to pace myself. My neighbor has a son in college always looking to make a few extra bucks and he will do heavy chores for me when his schedule allows. I'm not fast but I'm persistent and I have had to adjust my expectations to my abilities. I still love being outside and playing in the dirt and hope to be able to continue doing so for a long time.

  • sandra_christie
    12 years ago

    Don't do the same chore using the same muscles for more than 15 mins. at a stretch.

    Here is one that I don't practice, but should:
    Consistently spend 20-30 mins. EVERY day rather than 8 hours once a week.

    I've gardened in 90degrees from sunup to sundown without stopping and put myself in bed for the whole of the next day with combination migraine and muscle aches - so silly!

  • flora_uk
    12 years ago

    As Sandra says - vary the activities. I trim some edges, then do some weeding, have a cup of coffee, barrow some compost, do a few more edges, etc. Break the gardening into manageable chunks. I don't actually have any back or joint issues but even so anyone will ache a bit after unaccustomed movements. I regard it as a sign I'm using muscles that haven't been used in a while and therefore it's a good thing they hurt a bit. Also - not implying anything at all here but just as a general thought. If a person carries excess weight it all gets much worse.

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    That's it for me Flora- using muscles that I haven't used all winter. Sunday (2 days ago) was my first full day in the garden since last fall. I spent all day working- flipped 2 compost bins, cut down perennials, weeded... Those muscles are still revolting. Today is to be another beautiful day, but I won't be doing much in the yard. I'm still too sore. I knew better at the time, but continued anyway. I never learn.

    In a few weeks, doing the same thing won't bother me at all.

    Karen

  • bakemom_gw
    12 years ago

    Variance is a good plan. I use that. I'm also taking belly dancing using muscles i haven't used in years. What that has to with WS, i do not know, but it explains some of my behavior in the yard.

  • flora_uk
    12 years ago

    Mmm - that I would like to see, bakemom.....

  • kqcrna
    12 years ago

    bakemom, I imagine your neighbors wrote you off as a kook long ago :-)

    Karen

  • ladyrose65
    12 years ago

    Leisa, I use this stuff, I swear buy, it called Bentonite Clay, it can be found at the Health Food Store: Under Indian Healing Clay. You put like 3 tablespoons in a hot bath and soak for as long as you can.

    Stretching before and after you plant helps alot, along with knee pads.

  • leisa_in_md
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thank you all so much for all your tips -- you all are awesome!

    Leisa

  • stlgirl
    12 years ago

    Hi Leisa,

    I started noticing aches & pains when I was 39. Intuition told me I needed to get serious about exercising. Lucky for me I found Nia. It is a dance exercise of sorts yet low impact. I have never been a workout sort of girl and this is the only exercise I have managed to stick with. Been doing it a least 2 times a week for 3 years now. Not sure if there is a class in your area though you can go to nianow.com and take a look.

    Also started taking flaxseed oil about a year ago. Omegas are suppose to be good for joint issues. It definitely seems to help. Been doing lots of yard work these past couple of days and can happily report I have no major aches.

    Hope you find the best solution for you.

    ~Amy (stlgirl)

  • bakemom_gw
    12 years ago

    Yes, my neighbors think I am nuts, but when i lost weight, got in shape and started gardening in a sports bra and osu shorts, they got over it.

  • roper2008
    12 years ago

    When I'm pulling weeds or planting flowers I sit on a plastic stool. It
    cost $10.00. Helps me a lot.

  • chrisloters
    9 years ago

    We have been using Chamomile Flowers as a herbal relief for arthritis and cramps, it was good for inflammation and the pain. All natural fish oil gel caps that have good source of Omega 3 also works best, most specially when we grow older when our diets restricts enough food intake, Fish oils supplement are a a good source of Omega 3.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://visiongroupcorp.com/omega3.html

  • pitimpinai
    9 years ago

    I do the same thing as roper2008: sitting on a stool while gardening. No kneeling, no going on my hands and knees.

    Using good tools helps.
    I use:
    - Felco prunners No. 2 (great torque for cutting twigs)
    - Kitchen shears (great for cutting leaves, grass)
    - Friska loppers (very helpful for large twigs)
    - Bulb planter for uncultivated soil (great for digging too)
    - shovel (great for digging & flipping soil & mixing in compost)

    My most favorite digging tool:
    {{gwi:268169}}

    I am 62 years old. After spending 8 - 9 hours in the garden, I award myself with a long warm shower or a good soak in the tub, depending on the weather. I fortunately have no join pain yet...just aches.

  • briergardener_gw
    9 years ago

    I found that turmeric (I take capsules Turmeric + Bromelain) works like NSAID

  • ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
    9 years ago

    In addition to all these excellent suggestions, I suggest you give yoga a try and see if it is your "cup of tea". Many senior centers or Y's offer free or low-cost yoga.
    Yoga is available in different levels: my 70+ sister in law does "gentle" yoga, there is yoga in a chair.
    Many people do it to stay flexible.

  • ellenr22 - NJ - Zone 6b/7a
    9 years ago

    I wanted to add:
    (you see how on-topic this post is, Leisa!)

    If you take curcumin (the active ingredient in turmeric) you must take it with bio-perrine. Otherwise it isn't well-absorbed.

    I find that glucosamine chondroitin + MSM helps my pain. also Flaxseed oil.

    also want to mention that there is an "accessible gardening" forum on Garden Web.

    good luck!

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