Spring chores: how to avoid back injuries and protect your spine?

It's a beautiful spring day, the sun is warming your face, the birds are singing, and you are enthusiastically starting to
gardening. After a few hours, you feel tired, but you decide to work a little more.
Suddenly you slip on the wet ground, trying to stay on your feet, but you feel a sharp pain in your lower back.
in the back. You feel how difficult it is to stretch, and every movement causes discomfort.
A joyful day is replaced by back pain, anxiety and a visit to the doctor. Are these injuries
could it have been avoided? Yes!
"Spring is our busy season as pain specialists," says the anesthesiologist.
resuscitation specialist Asta Mažeikaitė-Banevičienė. According to our interviewee, the number of patients is currently increasing
physical activity, and at the same time, the incidence of back pain is increasing. Patients who apply
most often suffer from back pain between the shoulder blades, pain in the middle of the back or in the lumbar region
pain. The latter usually occurs after intensive gardening or heavy physical exertion
outside.
To avoid these problems, it is very important to understand the basic biomechanical factors and apply
preventive measures that will help protect your spine when doing gardening.
How to protect your back and spine when doing gardening?
Daily yard work requires a lot of physical effort: bending, lifting, twisting, prolonged
standing or kneeling puts a lot of strain on the spine. In addition, uneven ground can
additional load on the lumbar region, cause spinal instability and promote microtrauma.
✔ Warm-up and stretching exercises. Before you start working out, do a light warm-up, including
stretching exercises for your back, hips, and legs. This will prepare your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
✔ Use proper lifting techniques. When lifting heavy objects such as bags of soil
or rocks, bend your knees, keep your back straight, and use your leg and torso muscles. Avoid
when lifting, rotate your body.
✔ Break up your work into stages. Don't try to do everything at once – take breaks to
avoid excessive strain on the spine.

✔ Choose ergonomic tools. Tools with long handles or adjustable holders
reduces the need to bend and makes work easier.
✔ Maintain good posture. Whether you're planting plants or shoveling snow, try to
keep your back in a neutral position, bend your knees and use the strength of your leg muscles.
✔ Wear proper footwear. Choose shoes with good cushioning and stability to
reduce the strain on your spine when working on uneven terrain.
✔ Strengthen your core muscles. Exercises like planks, crunches, or waist crunches
stabilization exercises help maintain a strong back and reduce the risk of injury.
✔ Don't try to do everything alone. If you need to move very heavy objects or perform more complex tasks,
work, ask for help or hire specialists.
Why does the spine often suffer when doing gardening?
✔ Repetitive movements and poor posture. Constant bending and twisting movements increase
strain on the spine and can cause long-term damage.
✔ Sudden fall or unexpected shock. When working on wet tiles or uneven ground, falls
can cause acute back pain or even spinal fractures.
✔ Inappropriate work tools. Tools that are not ergonomically designed or are too heavy cause unnecessary
back muscle tension and spinal strain, and promotes incorrect posture.
When is it necessary to consult a doctor?
If you experience persistent low back pain, limited range of motion, numbness, or loss of strength,
decrease in your legs, do not delay - the sooner you contact specialists, the greater the chance
avoid serious spinal problems.
Clinic Agatas in Kaunas is a pain treatment and spine surgery clinic, where
top-level specialists. Depending on your diagnosis, the following treatment methods may be used:
✅ Physiotherapy and kinesitherapy - strengthening spinal stability and reducing pain.
✅ Ivazinis gydymas („blokados”) – mažinančios uždegimą ir skausmą juosmens srityje.
✅ Surgical operations – helping to effectively restore spinal functionality.
May your spine remain strong this spring, and may every day in nature be a true pleasure!