Spring might just about be in the air and I’m already seeing people who’ve hurt their backs with the seasons first lawn-mowing, car-washing, garden digging and patio-pot-moving.  So here’s a quick guide to how NOT to hurt yourself while you’re working.

1. First, pace yourself and do not try to do in 1 day what you were doing when you finished last autumn.  At the end of last year, you were probably at the peak of activity having has spring, summer and autumn to build flexibility, stamina and strength.  You’d worked up to the activity levels over time.  You may have now had months of not gardening or golfing or walking so go back to your activities gently and pace yourself.
2. Related to the first point, it’s generally only the next day – or even the day after the day after – that you really get a sense for how you are.  It can take that long for the aches and pains to surface.  So at the beginning of the season, do a little, stop and see how you feel tomorrow.  Do a little again and see how you feel after that.  Then build up slowly.
3. If something hurts, stop doing that immediately!
4. Keep yourself warm while you work.  It’s simple physics that tells us that things get shorter when it’s cold and that applies to muscles, tendons and ligaments in our bodies too.  They get shorter and more prone to being pulled too much and injured.  So tuck in your shirt, wear several layers overlapping, wear a wind-proof to keep the cold wind off and tuck a scarf into the next of the top layer to keep the warm air in.
5. Bending over repeatedly, lifting awkwardly, lifting things that are too heavy and trying to pull things are accidents waiting to happen.  Think before you work.  Find easy ways to do things -lift with a straight back, kneel down rather than stoop, push something rather than pull, ask for help when moving big things … all these will help keep you safe and moving.

In my treatments I help clients to recover from the injuries, but this is the sort of suggestions I make to keep them safe while they recover and then to help them stay active without getting hurt again. If you’d like to talk any of this through for your own situation, contact me at neil@backtorights.com