Spring has burst forth in all its glory, heralding a season of renewal and rebirth. As you enjoy the blossoming trees and fresh, colourful flowers, you are tempted to look forward to the outdoor work ahead. Spring invites us to embrace the vitality it brings and focus on preparing for a lush garden in the seasons to come.

In this article we share some tips and tricks to prevent and manage neck and back pain while gardening, so you can have more time to enjoy the spring season and less pain or discomfort. But first let's take a look at what makes working in the garden so tiring for the body.

What makes working in the garden painful?

There are several factors that contribute to the challenges of spring gardening. Here we highlight the aspects of this seasonal task.

Exercise

Starting the season often involves a number of physically demanding tasks, from removing old leaves and debris, to preparing the soil, planting new life and moving garden tools. These activities can strain the muscles, causing pain and fatigue.

Repetitive movements

Many activities involve repetitive movements, such as digging, digging, planting, kneeling, lifting and carrying. These movements can lead, over time, to muscle fatigue and tension, resulting in discomfort and possible injury.

Bowing and kneeling

Tasks such as planting seeds and seedlings, weeding and cultivating flower beds often require prolonged periods of bending and kneeling. These positions can put strain on the back, knees and joints, causing discomfort and stiffness.

Weather conditions

Spring weather can be unpredictable, with fluctuating temperatures and occasional rain showers, sometimes even hail or overnight frost. Exposure to wet conditions while working outdoors can contribute to muscle tension and discomfort.

Lifting and carrying

Moving bags of earth, plant pots and garden tools can strain the back, shoulders and arms. Improper lifting techniques can aggravate this strain, increasing the risk of pain and injury.

Four ways to avoid or alleviate pain:

Managing (potential) pain or discomfort from gardening is essential to maintain one's well-being and make the gardening experience more enjoyable. Here are some effective ways to relieve and prevent pain:

1. Do a warm-up and stretching exercises

Think of gardening as a workout. Before you start, do some exercises to warm up your muscles, such as gluteal exercises, knee lifts, arm swings and neck loosening. Finish with some stretching exercises, such as standing up, bending forward, and stretching sideways (with the left arm above the head to the outside right and v.v.). Focus on the muscle groups you will be using, such as arms, back, shoulders and legs. This helps to increase blood circulation, improve flexibility and reduce the risk of strain.

1. Take breaks

You can prevent overstraining by taking regular breaks. Set a timer and stop every 20-30 minutes to stretch so that your muscles don't become stiff or tired.

Even better, if you find that gardening work is becoming too much for you, see if someone else can do it, be it your partner, your child or your neighbour.

1. Treat sore muscles with heat/ice

If you feel pain, apply ice for the first 24-48 hours to reduce inflammation. You can then apply heat to soothe stiff, tense and rigid muscles.

1. Pain therapy devices

To adequately address the physical demands of working in the garden, consider incorporating advanced pain relief solutions into your routine. Explore the benefits of DR-HO pain therapy devices that provide proactive relief from muscle pain, in the comfort of your own home. Advanced technologies use electrical stimulation of nerves and muscles to provide targeted relief and optimise your ability to perform activities with ease.

DR-HO'S Neck Pain Pro, Circulation Promoter Pro and Triple Action Back Belt enable you to take a proactive stance against muscle pain while working in the garden:

• Reduce neck tension with Neck Pain Pro.
• Improve blood circulation and promote muscle recovery with Circulation Promoter.
• When you experience pain or discomfort in your knees or calves, recover faster and easier with the Circulation Promoter Pro.
• Embrace lumbar support and relieve back pain with the Triple Action Back Belt.

The Triple Action Back Belt may be the most suitable device for relieving muscular aches and pains related to working in the garden. The wearable device is designed to follow you wherever your pain goes. Simply strap it around your back to stabilise it. With integrated TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) therapy and EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation) technology, it relieves tension and back pain by providing a gentle pulse that causes controlled contraction and relaxation of the back muscles for an effect you can feel immediately.

Just ask our customer Cathleen: ‘When I do housework, I actually feel rejuvenated because I use the TENS machine. It gives me lumbar support, so I can do housework for much longer and without too much effort and I have worked on no pain at the end of the day.’

BUY VAN DR-HO'S TRIPLE ACTION BACK NOW

By incorporating this device into your gardening routine, you will enjoy greater comfort, improved performance and a renewed sense of confidence in your ability to complete tasks with pleasure. Don't let muscle aches get in the way of your springtime garden fun - empower yourself with DR-HO's innovative solutions for a great outdoor experience.

Check out the Triple Action Back Belt and other products!