Spring is peak gardening season, and every year the clinic sees the same predictable wave of injuries in the weeks that follow — sore backs, strained shoulders and cranky knees from a weekend spent getting the garden back into shape after winter. Gardening doesn’t feel like exercise, which is exactly the problem: it involves hours of bending, kneeling, twisting and lifting, often done all at once after months of relative inactivity.
Why Gardening Is Such a Common Cause of Back Pain
Repeated bending, kneeling, lifting and twisting all place load through the muscles, joints, discs and nerves of the spine. On their own, none of these movements are a problem — but done repeatedly, for hours, without breaks, and often by a back that hasn’t done this kind of work since last spring, they add up quickly. Lower back strain from prolonged bending, shoulder pain from pruning and reaching overhead, and sudden lifting injuries from moving pots, bags of mulch or garden edging are all common presentations we see this time of year.
Safe Lifting Technique for Garden Work
When lifting anything heavier than a trowel — bags of soil, pots, garden edging — keep your feet shoulder-width apart and bend from your knees and hips, not your back. Keep the load close to your body, brace your core before you lift, and push up through your legs rather than straightening your back first. Avoid twisting while holding a load; if you need to turn, move your feet rather than rotating through your spine.
Protecting Your Back During Weeding and Planting
- Use a kneeling pad or garden stool: reduces the load on your knees and lower back compared with prolonged bending or squatting.
- Choose long-handled tools where possible: long-handled trowels, weeders and rakes reduce how far you need to bend.
- Take breaks every 15 to 20 minutes: stand up, stretch gently, and change position rather than staying in one posture for an entire session.
- Use a wheelbarrow or garden cart: for moving soil, mulch or pots rather than carrying them by hand across the yard.
- Break the job into smaller sessions: two hours on Saturday and two hours on Sunday is far kinder to your back than one six-hour marathon session.
- Warm up before you start: a few minutes of gentle movement and stretching before picking up tools helps prepare your back and shoulders for the work ahead.
When to See a Physio About Gardening-Related Pain
Mild muscle soreness after a big day in the garden is normal and usually settles within a day or two. But pain that’s sharp, doesn’t ease with rest, radiates down your leg or arm, or is still there after a week is worth getting assessed. The sooner a strain is properly diagnosed and treated, the faster it resolves — and the sooner you’re back to it without reinjuring yourself the following weekend. See our back pain physiotherapy page for how we approach these injuries.
If this spring’s garden clean-up has left you with a back that won’t settle, don’t just push through it next weekend too. Call us on 02 8322 9022 or book online.
