left-hand/flickr.com

Anne Stein, M.S.
Sports & Fitness Journalist/Author

Whether it’s tending a small plot of veggies, landscaping a large yard, or growing a few containers of flowers on a patio, Americans love to garden. But like anything physical, it’s easy to overdo it, no matter how fit you are.

With all of the bending, squatting, digging and hauling, gardeners who aren’t careful can end up with backs and muscles so sore that they’ll need a few days to recover. And if you’re already suffering from arthritis or a bad back, it’s especially important to adapt gardening to your body’s needs so you can still enjoy digging in the dirt – safely.

To keep gardening fun and pain-free, consider the following:

Don’t just jump right in. Just as you would with any other exercise or workout, take a few minutes pre-gardening to warm up with some slow, easy walking or stretching, and work for only a short period of time the first trip out.  Continue to slowly increase the amount of time you garden while your body becomes used to the activity.

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Spread your tasks out over a few days or weekends. Prune bushes one day, prepare soil another. Plant and water another day. The dirt will still be there for you.

Take a break. Work in short increments (15-20 minutes) and stand up and stretch in between tasks to avoid pain and stiffness later. Once your muscles get used to gardening, you can work for longer stretches. If you suffer from back, neck or other pain, work for even shorter amounts of time.

Switch positions. Stooping, bending and kneeling in the same position for long periods is extremely irritating to your back and knees. Change positions at least every 15 minutes. Walk around and stretch briefly to avoid muscle pain and stiffness.

Be weed-free. Reduce the time you bend over weeding by planting ground cover, or use mulch, peat and compost to stop weed growth. Plant low-maintenance shrubs and other greenery to reduce physical labor.

Plant up. Raised garden beds, at least two to three feet off the ground, allow you to sit on a chair, bench or garden wall while gardening, rather than bending over or squatting. They’re also a great decorative touch. You can also use large tubs or pots for raised gardening.

Lift and carry right. Dragging heavy bags of fertilizer and lifting large, dirt-filled pots is incredibly hard on your back. Lighten your load and when you do lift, follow these rules:

• Stand close to the object you’re lifting and hold it close to you as you lift
• Spread feet shoulder width apart for a base of support
• Bend at the knees, tighten stomach muscles, and lift using your leg, not back, muscles
• Don’t bend forward from your waist and don’t twist while lifting or bending

Dig gently. Heavy digging is notorious for causing back pain. Do some other activities first to ensure that your back’s warmed up and ready for activity. Don’t load your shovel with tons of dirt; light loads are much less stressful. Use your legs and slightly bend knees to lift and shovel.

Use the right tools. There are plenty of long-handled, lightweight garden tools, from weeders to bulb-planters, that’ll save you from bending and squatting.

Get a grip. A large, soft grip on your tools is easier and more comfortable to squeeze. The handle of your tools should fit the natural shape of your hand. Your wrist should be in a neutral/straight position when using a tool to avoid soreness later. The longer the handle, the more leverage you’ll have – and you’ll be able to use two hands, rather than just one, for trimming and cutting thick branches and vines.

Have a seat. A low stool or kneeler-seat, sold at gardening stores and sites, gets you close to the ground for planting and weeding without the stress of squatting and kneeling. If you do kneel on the ground, use a rubber or foam mat (also available in gardening stores) to cushion your knees.

Strengthen your core. Starting off with strong abdominal and back muscles is a good defense against a sore back.

Sore anyway? Stay out of the garden for a few days to give muscles a chance to recover. Apply ice and/or heat to sore muscles; hot showers and whirlpool baths can also be soothing. If pain becomes severe or radiates, consult your physician.

Mark Sebastian/flickr.com

Exercises Can Help Combat and Prevent Girls’ ACL Injuries

The Washington Post’s MisFits report on how parents are taking strides to prevent ACL injuries in young female athletes

Lenny Bernstein – The Washington Post

This article was selected by Moji because of its relevant content. We have crafted an overview, but please link directly to the original site to read the entire article.

Moji Overview:

The Washington Post‘s Lenny Bernstein reports on changes that are being made by parents, coaches, and institutions to help prevent ACL injuries in young female athletes.  The incidence of knee injuries in this population is staggering.  In fact, young women that are actively involved in sport are three to eight times more likely to suffer from ACL tears than their male counterparts.  While anatomical differences, such as the thinness of their ACLs, contribute greatly to these statistics, ACL injuries can be prevented through proper conditioning.  Bernstein reports that some parents and coaches have taken on this  conditioning burden and are providing young female athletes with intensive training that involves strengthening leg muscles, learning proper the biomechanics of jumping and running, as well as conditioning key stabilizer muscles through the core and lower body.  This intensive training will not only help prevent knee injuries but also provide a competitive advantage to the athletes – a fact that many hope will inspire increasingly competitive female athletes and their parents to buy into this additional training commitment.

By Lenny Bernstein

Published: January 28, 2010

Read the Article

The Washington Post

visualpanic/flickr.com

Acclaimed pastry chef/restaurateur Gale Gand and her partners have a joke about where to locate new restaurants each time they’ve launched one: “Build them within walking distance of an emergency room,” she says. She points out that famed Chicago restaurant Tru, where she serves as executive pastry chef and partner, is less than a block from an ER in downtown Chicago.

“You have the normal cuts, stitches, and burns,” says the busy mother of three, though the risks of being a chef include a lot more than sharp knives and fire. “It’s a super-physical job,” explains Gand, whose been known to wrap ice packs around her knees while whipping up desserts in the kitchen.

“It’s going up and down stairs carrying things, loading boxes onto dollies, unloading cases of bananas, lots of bending and lifting,” she explains. It’s not uncommon for chefs to slip and fall while carrying heavy bags of flour or large cans down stairs – which Gand has done.

Add to that long periods of standing and countertops that are too low or high to be ergonomically correct, and the result is frequent lower back pain, achy knees and feet that always hurt.

“We have the most expensive rubber (anti-fatigue) mats around but they only do so much,” says Gand. “I change shoes a few times a day, from clogs, to Vans to Skechers, which have thick soles.” Back and knee surgery is typical for chefs, she says. “I’ve had knee surgery and I’ve had cortisone injections in my back because of pain. The last time was just before my wedding because I wanted to be comfortable.”

Still, for those who love to prepare food, the show must go on, and Gand, who travels the world demonstrating her pastry prowess and promoting her books, has a few suggestions to help prevent or alleviate pain in the kitchen:

• Good shoes are a must
• Strengthen your abs and back (core) so you can hold yourself up comfortably
• Massage, whirlpool, and hot tub soaks are great for aching muscles
• Gand is a big fan of ice and Aleve for everything from burns to sprains to sore muscles
• Back braces, such as those worn by truckers and others who load heavy goods, can be helpful
• Support inserts in shoes can also help

Chef Michel Roux, who runs London restaurant Le Gavroche and is author of “The Marathon Chef: Food for Getting Fit”, agrees that physical fitness is essential to being a healthy and productive chef. “Life in the kitchen is hard going, so it’s hugely important to keep yourself in shape,” says Roux, who has run 17 marathons. While it may be tough to work out regularly, it’s a big help in the kitchen, physically and mentally. Roux runs in-between lunch and dinner service and says he often bumps into fellow runner/chef Gordon Ramsay.

Other tips:

• Invest in a good, anti-fatigue mat to stand on, or try a rug in the kitchen for comfy padding
• Counters should be at the right height, so you’re not bending over or reaching up excessively
• Be aware of proper posture; don’t hunch your neck, back, or shoulders
• Occasionally rest one foot on a low stool or shelf to give your back a break
• Change tasks frequently to avoid repetitive stress

Bryan Christie

Injury Tip Sheet: Patellar Tendinitis

Learn what you need to know to help treat and prevent this common knee injury

Kathy Weber, M.D., M.S.
Daphne R. Scott, PT, Dsc
Chicago, IL

Fast facts

• Commonly referred to as Jumper’s Knee
• Effects males twice as often as females
• Can effect up to 20% of jumping athletes

What you need to know

What is patellar tendinitis?

• The patellar tendon connects the kneecap (patella) to your shin bone (tibia)
• Tendinitis refers to the irritation and inflammation of any of the body’s tendons
• The patellar tendon, an extension of the quadriceps muscle group, helps your knee extend and push off the ground when your knee is bent
• Patellar tendinitis is a common overuse injury that results in inflammation of the tiny the patellar tendon

Signs & Symptoms

• The most prolific symptom of patellar tendinitis is pain and/or tenderness on the front of the knee, just below the kneecap, where the patella attaches to the shinbone
• While exercising pain can be sharp; after exercise an aching pain can persist
• Mild swelling in the kneecap region can occasionally occur

When should I see a doctor or other professional?

• You should see a doctor if the pain keeps you from your normal routine
• If the pain does not decrease after two or three weeks of self-treatment
• If the tendinitis is severe or becomes chronic, your doctor may also refer you to a physical therapist who may provide specific strengthening and flexibility exercises

Causes

• Patellar tendinitis is often the result of repetitive motion—typically seen in jumping activities such as volleyball or basketball but is also seen in repetitive activities such as running or soccer.
• Tight hamstrings and quadriceps can place additional strain on the patellar tendon
• Training too much, too quickly, without proper recovery time in between workouts

Risk Factors

• Although anyone can develop patellar tendinitis, athletes that participate in jumping sports such as basketball or volleyball run a higher risk of developing patella tendinitis
• Athletes with weaker quadriceps and hamstrings or athletes who do not properly stretch before and after exercise are at risk for patellar tendinitis
• You may have a mechanical default, such as a tracking problem within your knee joint, that may increase your likeliness of developing patellar tendinitis

What you can do

Prevention

• Always make sure your hamstrings and quadriceps are stretched before exercising; it eases the movement of the patella as your knee bends and extends
• Being overweight places additional stress on your knee joint and ligaments
• Avoid practicing on hard surfaces, when practical, and ensure that your footwear has proper support

Recommendations for Treatment and Rehab

• Treatment for patellar tendinitis includes icing, stretching, and strengthening.  .  You should ice the knee for 15-20 minutes every three to four hours in the initial stages of the injury.  Your doctor may also prescribe  anti-inflammatories to assist with alleviating pain and swelling and refer you to a physical therapist to assist in developing a comprehensive program including stretching, strengthening, modalities (ice and heat) and to address any biomechanical deficit that may be contributing to the tendinitis
• Rest is important for recovery.  If the tendinitis is not given time to heal then it is possible for the tendon to rupture requiring surgery.
• Even after the pain subsides, continue strengthening exercises and stretching as part of your normal workout routine

What can I do to stay active?

• Lower impact activities like swimming, use of the elliptical trainier and cycling can help you maintain fitness while you are recovering from your injury
• Although the use of a stair stepper is lower impact than running, the repetitive use of stairs may aggravate your knee tendinitis and is typically not recommended
• Minimizing any exercise that increases or reproduces your pain will allow for a more expedient recovery

oskarlin/flickr.com

Is My Sudden Knee Pain Here to Stay?

If a sudden pain lingers, am I officially injured or can I keep going?

Kathy Weber, M.D., M.S.
Doctor of Primary Care Sports Medicine
Rush University Medical Center

Question:

I ran very guarded on ice and snow this winter season one day and after that the insides of my knees hurt so much that I have not been able to run since then. I have not ever been injured before nor have I ever had knee pain before. I have rested about 10 days and still am feeling about the same pain. Will I injure it more if I try to run on it?

Answer:

If you have not tried icing your knees for 15-20 minutes a few times a day and performing gentle stretching along with the rest, you should do so.  If you have done this and still have pain,  it is time to see a sports medicine doctor to evaluate what might be causing this pain.