​Gardening is a rewarding and relaxing hobby, but it can also be hard on your back. Long hours of bending, lifting, and kneeling can strain your muscles and joints, leading to pain and stiffness. To prevent back problems and enjoy your time in the garden, follow these simple tips:
1. Warm up before you start.
Gardening can be a real workout, so warming up your muscles first is a good idea. Try a brisk five-minute walk and some stretching exercises. One relatively gentle stretch is the back-flexion exercise, in which you lie down on your back, then pull both knees to your chest while bringing your head forward.
2. Lift with support
Lifting heavy pots, bushes, and full watering cans without proper back support can injure the discs, muscles, and/or ligaments in your back. To lift in an ergonomically supported manner, begin by squatting and not bending at your waist. Use both hands to hold the object, keeping it close to your body, and slowly straighten your legs as you stand. To minimise lifting, use a waggon, dolly, or other lifting aids to carry heavy items from place to place. Fill large watering cans just halfway and consider alternative watering options, such as soaker hoses or automated irrigation systems.
3. Take frequent breaks.
It’s easy to lose track of time when you love being out in the yard. Take a water bottle with you as a reminder to take frequent breaks and hydrate yourself. If you’ve been in one position for a while, do some stretches during these breaks. Also, avoid doing the same kind of task, such as pruning, for a long period of time. Switch to another activity and rotate these tasks periodically.
4. Get support from kneelers and chairs.
Getting down on the ground—and then standing back upright—can be painful or even impossible, depending on your level of pain and flexibility. Heavy-duty kneelers, especially those with raised, padded handles, can help you get up and down, allowing you to use your arm strength to aid in the process. Kneelers usually include a well-cushioned base to reduce stress and impact on your knees and back. Many kneelers also convert to low chairs. You can also use wearable or moveable knee pads for extra cushioning.
5. Use tools with long handles.
Tools with long handles, such as forks and trowels, can help you reach the soil without bending too much. Some tools have extensions or telescopic arms, which reduce your need to stretch. Use pruners and loppers that have a ratchet system. This makes cutting easier and saves pressure on the back and shoulders. Keep the blades sharp to avoid extra strain. Put secateurs in a holster attached to your belt. This avoids having to constantly bend down to pick them up.
By following these tips, you can keep your back healthy and enjoy gardening without pain.

Despite increasing public and professional awareness, revised pain-management guidelines and other signs of change, the numbing numbers still stand out: an estimated 130 deaths a day due to an opioid overdose.


Could a lasting solution be as simple as visiting a doctor of chiropractic or other conservative care provider first? You probably know the answer, but now research is proving it. Case in point: a new national study comparing first provider choice with early- and long-term opioid use in patients with low back pain.

Published in BMJ Open, this study evaluated short- and long-term opioid use based on initial provider type seen: conservative care practitioner (chiropractor, acupuncturist or physical therapist) or primary care medical physician (PCP). Participants included 215,000-plus U.S. adults diagnosed with new-onset low back pain and "opioid naive."
The study defined early opioid use as "an opioid fill within 30 days of the index visit" and long-term use as "an initial opioid fill within 60 days of the index date and either 120 or more days' supply of opioids over 12 months, or 90 days or more supply of opioids and 10 or more opioid prescriptions over 12 months."
Researchers evaluated inpatient / outpatient claims from patient visits and pharmacy claims to correlate first provider type seen with opioid use, finding that LBP patients whose initial visit was with a DC were a staggering 90 percent less likely to use opioids early compared to patients who saw a PCP first.
Significantly reduced odds for early opioid use were also noted for acupuncture and physical therapy patients. LBP patients who first visited a doctor of chiropractic or other conservative provider were also less likely to use opioids long term compared with patients visiting a PCP.
ER physicians, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons and rehab physicians were also included in the analysis. Patients visiting any of the above MD specialists first also had lower odds of early opioid use compared to primary care physicians (although not as significant as visiting a conservative-care provider), with the exception of ER physicians (dramatically higher odds for early use compared with PCPs). However, odds for long-term use were not significantly different compared to primary care providers for all of the above specialist types, with the exception of rehab physicians (still significantly lower odds compared to PCPs).
If that's not enough proof, a second study, this one published in Pain Medicine, reviewed six previous studies involving more than 60,000 participants with spinal pain, finding that patients who saw a chiropractor were 64 percent less likely to use opioids compared to patients who visited another type of health care provider.
It makes sense that patients who visit chiropractors are less likely to use opioids, since chiropractors provide nondrug, nonsurgical care. But the bottom line is, visit a chiropractor, reduce your risk of using a dangerous opioid! In light of the sobering statistics on opioid deaths, visiting a chiropractor for your pain could be a life-saving decision.

 

Regardless of a doctor’s specialty, the school they graduated from or their years of experience, they can’t cure headaches, mend broken bones or heal a wound. Only you can do that… If your healing ability isn’t impaired.

Your natural healing ability is responsible for the tremendous success that osteopathic patients enjoy. The only thing doctors can do, regardless of their discipline, is to help reduce barriers to the incredible healing ability you were born with.

Which is why we’re interested in your skeletal and nervous systems. It’s what controls every movement, evey cell, tissue, organ and system of your whole body. The nerves along your spine are the most vulnerable part of your nervous system.

By reducing any blockages to healing and nervous system compromise from the bones of your spine, you can then take over and do the healing!

Do you know anyone whose healing ability needs a boost? Share this article with them.

I am often asked what the difference is between osteopathy and physiotherapy, and which treatment would be most suitable. It can be hard to know who to see, and if one treatment is better for certain conditions.
 In today's private practice the two professions have many similarities and treat pretty much the same problems – equally successfully - albeit with a slightly different ideology and approach.
 
 
Osteopaths view the body as a unique, interconnected system which has the ability to heal itself given the right environment. Osteopathic treatment focuses on correcting any disruption in this system - such as restricted joints, poor spinal alignment, muscle tension and imbalances and incorrect posture/movement patterns. Each person is assessed individually and not treated according to any set protocol.
 
Osteopathic diagnosis and treatment is around 90% 'hands-on'. The techniques employed vary from soft tissue techniques such as massage and passive joint movements to joint manipulations (often referred to by patients as 'cracking'). They may also use ultrasound or acupuncture, and in many cases advise on lifestyle and posture. Exercises and/or stretches may also be given.
 
Physiotherapists concentrate on restoring optimum function and performance to the problem area. As physiotherapy has been an intrinsic part the NHS for many years, the availability of funding has driven research and enabled studies leading to the development of 'treatment protocols' for the treatment of specific problems.
 
Physiotherapy diagnosis and treatment is less 'hands-on' (around 60%) as more focus is given to observing movement and correcting technique. The techniques employed by physiotherapists vary from soft tissue techniques, such as massage and passive joint movements, to more extensive rehabilitation exercise programs. Ultrasound may also be employed.
 
 
If people who primarily focus on muscles sit at one end of a spectrum (i.e. massage therapists to relax or personal trainers to strengthen) and people who primarily focus on joints sit at the other (i.e. chiropractors), physiotherapists and osteopaths sit together in the middle.
 
 
So who should I see?
It really comes down to personal preference. Both professions can successfully treat the same conditions, so if you still can’t decide my advice would be to ask around for a recommendation, as the individual is probably more important than the profession.
 
 
But if you have a problem... Do something about it!
It is more important that you see someone (physiotherapist or osteopath) rather than see no one at all!!