Gardening can lead to injuries. Experts advise what to do and what to avoid

Work is in full swing on the plots and gardens. A bent posture and intensely twisting wrists, elbows and shoulders may result in a pleasant rest ending in injury.

– Most of these injuries in the allotment result from the fact that we spend all winter sitting in front of the TV and suddenly on the May weekend, when there are five warm days, we go to the allotment and dig for, for example, 10 hours, the next day we prune flowers for 10 hours and on the third day we wake up in pain. We simply did too much in too short a time – explains Michał Kaczorowski, physiotherapist.

We ask Mrs. Jadwiga Wasiak for advice, who invited “Fakty” TVN to her kingdom during the May weekend. Mrs. Jadwiga suggests how important the proper bending technique and the use of a knee pad are. Thanks to this, the knees are protected not only against cold and moisture, but also against injuries. Mrs. Jadwiga does not carry heavy buckets of water or watering cans unnecessarily. No long and tedious work with a hoe or shovel.

What else threatens allotment gardeners? – Very often, injuries occur in the shoulder area, our back, usually at the bottom in the lumbar section, but they also very often occur around the elbow – says Kaczorowski.

This is the so-called tennis elbow syndrome caused by a series of micro-injuries. Despite the name, the syndrome is not typical only for athletes, but also occurs among gardeners who perform repetitive movements – the attachments of tendons to bones are overloaded. Mrs. Jadwiga also has a way to do it. – I have a gamer and I can handle it with both hands – says Mrs. Jadwiga.

SEE ALSO: How to grill to avoid health hazards? Advice from doctors and dietitians

For those who have overloaded their joints and muscles, Michał Kaczorowski, a physiotherapist, suggests a few simple exercises. – Wrist sprains – says Kaczorowski. – It will be a very good exercise for both tennis elbow and golfer's elbow – he emphasizes. All you need to do is hold the bottle in your hand. In addition to wrist twists, wrist flexions and extensions are advised by a physiotherapist.

However, it is best to avoid overloads, and if this is impossible, it is a good idea to simply share them. And do everything without unnecessary rush. – If there is more difficult work, we will call the neighbor, help, talk, sit and we will always come up with something – sums up Mr. Roman Duszak.