Last April, I awoke to high voltage pain in my left knee. I hobbled to the kitchen in hopes movement and coffee might tame the fire. Not a chance.
Discomfort lasted for months. That thing about not overdoing it bounced around in my brain, yet I couldn’t pinpoint exactly how it happened. Injuries sometimes wait to torment us, lurking before pouncing.
Prepping garden beds the previous day was the probable cause. A couple weeks of weeding, digging and pushing wheelbarrows may have been too much, too early in the year.
Once weeks of extreme pain subsided, my doctor surmised arthritis may have set in and lingered. He didn’t seem too concerned. His advice was Ibuprofen and the ubiquitous, “Try not to overdo it.”
OK, but I still needed to finish tasks in the garden. And a grandkid’s candy doesn’t age well on hardwood floors. Bending over and twisting to perform mundane tasks presents daily potential injury. Things happen, unexplainable things to challenge us to find answers and then work around the nuisance.
I’m feeling contemplative in the gardener sense. Another year is about to pass. It was a good year. A relatively cool summer was kind to Sacramento gardeners. Being sidelined and then cautious was an annoyance and stimulated soul searching.
Somehow, I hobbled through summer and into fall by trying not to overdo it. That meant avoiding some tasks or discovering ways to navigate around potential dangers.
Normally, I do my own drip irrigation installations and repairs. I hired somebody this year. Groveling on the ground and getting back up numerous times was as appealing as a dead battery.
Gardening entails squatting, bending, kneeling and lifting. It’s an activity of repetitive motions, a breeding ground of pulled muscles, ligament strains and tendinitis. Kneeling is hard on knees, especially older knees. Squatting may be worse.
Depending on which set of statistics is cited, between 150,000 to 300,000 gardeners visit emergency rooms in the U.S. annually. Ladder falls, lawnmowers and power tools are the most dangerous causes. Rotator cuff and knee injuries follow power tools as most common serious injuries in the garden. I did fall off a ladder once and was fortunate to suffer only bruising.
Tripping over hand tools left out is another hazard. No stumbles over tools, but I did leave a good pair of Felco hand pruners out. I searched for weeks, retracing areas I frequented and peering under anything that resembled a hiding place. Like socks in the dryer, gardens are the Bermuda Triangle of vanishing tools.
Repetitive strain injury—called RSI—is caused by overuse and repetitive movements. You feel it in muscles, nerves and tendons in wrists, shoulders, hands, neck, knees and lower back. Anybody who has worked in the garden likely has experienced repetitive strains.
Gardeners are not alone in suffering injuries during recreational and sports activities. The National Safety Council ranks working out as having the highest rate of injuries. Tumbles off treadmills, torn muscles from lifting weights, back and neck injuries are among the reasons. Cycling is No. 2 because of falls and accidents with automobiles.
Temporarily deprived of doing what you love is a different kind of pain. You either work around it or take a healing sabbatical.
Gardeners are relatively fit and gardening is not inherently dangerous if we all take a moment to assess each situation. Wear eye protection and heavy gloves when using power tools and mowers. Hire professionals or call on family members if these tasks are beyond your physical abilities. Sit, when you can, while gardening.
Roses, pyracantha, holly, cacti, palms and some citruses have thorns, spines and prickles. Be especially careful around plants that can puncture flesh and trigger infections.
Take care of your body. Be safe. And enjoy a happy and healthy holiday. Please, try not to overdo it.
Dan Vierria is a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener for Sacramento County. He can be reached at masterg29@gmail.com. For answers to gardening questions, contact UCCE Master Gardeners at (916) 876-5338, email mgsacramento@ucanr.edu or visit sacmg.ucanr.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram: @insidesacramento.
