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Community Corner

Gardening Aches and Pains? Local Chiropractor Offers Solutions

Dr. Darren S. Kalkan of Genuine Chiropractic offers some tips to help ease the pain caused by gardening this summer.

Now that summer is officially here, more people are spending time outdoors in their gardens, planting and tending to blooming flowers, ripe fruits and tasty vegetables. But beautiful gardens often come with aches and discomfort, especially in our backs.

Understanding that gardeners work in unusual positions for prolonged periods of time, Dr. Darren S. Kalkan of in Clawson offers the following advice to help ease that pain:

  • Stretching beforehand can loosen up the body up and prepare the muscles for motions used in gardening.
  • Keep the body hydrated to prevent getting cramps.
  • Use stable positions and try to do work close to the body, rather than leaning outward.
  • Use kneeling pads when weeding to reduce stress on the knees.
  • When kneeling, always support yourself with three limbs placed on the ground at all times; kneeling is hard on the back, so keeping your weight evenly distributed will ease pressure off of your lower back. Bend with the knees, not with the hips.
  • Stand upright and rest every so often from lengthy, repetitive positions.
  • Take a warm shower after sessions.
  • Stretching afterward can help relax the body from gardening's effects.

“Prepare the body, use safe-centered movements, and lift with your legs, not with your back,” Kalkan said.

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Providing relief

Genuine Chiropractic offers chiropractic and massage therapy for people looking to help ease their aches and pains.

Kalkan performs full stretching with adjustments to target tight muscle groups, since shortened muscles can cause injury as they tend to limit joint movement.

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Resistance-band stretch and exercise routines are also encouraged for people who have muscles that are weak and lacking support, often seen in those who perform computer-related tasks as a full-time job.

“In order to achieve health, people have to work to maintain it; you can’t just hope it stays,” Kalkan said. “We want to help you maintain it and get you back in the right direction when you are out of balance."

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