“All the flowers, of all the tomorrows, are in the seeds of today.” -Chinese Proverb
Spring and summer are known for their beautiful bounties popping up in gardens across America. An open door carries in lofty breezes scented with hints of jasmine and views of wisteria bundles growing on winding vines. A sanctuary of calm and tranquility.
Nature’s garden grows with water, sunshine, rich soil, shade, and the nutrients therein. The rewards are blooms, flowers, fruits and veggies. Not to mention the relished joys of hummingbirds sipping honeysuckle, cardinals nesting, and bluebirds singing. So, what’s not to like?
Toiling in the garden can wreak havoc on hand and body joints, especially for those with symptoms of arthritis (Harvard Health Publication, 2017). So to bring blooms without any gloom, I use occupational therapy strategies to help me help myself. A few drops of simple joint protection principles protect, prevent, and ultimately preserve my joints—which I call my 3-P’s of Joint Protection! Here are a few tidbits on each—
PROTECT
Our Canine Good Citizen, Shenandoah, demonstrates use of a knee or paw pad.
When I garden, I shield my joints and keep them safe from potential damage, trauma, and injury. A kneeling pad protects my knee joints from thorns and the hard ground (Harvard Health Publication, 2017). Gloves protect my hands from cuts, abrasions, bug bites, poison ivy, and anything else that might cause infection, redness, or swelling (Harvard Health Publication, 2015).
Shears and clippers with enlarged handles offer comfort for a light pain-free grip. Long handled weeders and tillers protect from the strain of crouching and bending (Harvard Heath Publication, 2017).
Our long handled tiller in our zucchini garden.
PREVENT
To prevent wear and tear on joints, I don’t over-do-it. I balance rest and activity. I work in 15’ intervals with 5’ breaks. I rest my joints before fatigue or exertion set in. This prevents pain and swelling. As a reminder, I set a timer to keep my work and rest cycles consistent and reliable.
Cautious work prevents quick and jerky movements from damaging joints (Harvard Health Publication, 2015). I “SelfPace” my time in the garden to a slow and steady rhythmic rate. Relaxing music or a metronome keep me in-time and provides auditory prompts. The great French poet, Moliere said, “trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit.” I agree! When I move and work methodically— like a slow growing tree—I equally reap fruitful and healthy joints.
Most importantly, when I feel pain, I stop what I’m doing and rest! This prevents swelling and inflammation (Harvard Heath Publication, 2015, 2017; Lorig and Fries, 2006; Pendleton and Schultz-Krohn, 2017).
Our raised garden planter.
I garden within a comfortable range of motion and keep joints in proper alignment. This prevents twisting muscles, impinging nerves, and torquing joints (Harvard Health Publication, 2017). I use raised garden planters to sow seeds from a comfortable height. This prevents crouching, pressure, and strain (Lorig and Fries, 2006).
A tool organizer keeps items within easy reach and helps maintain balance, equilibrium, and stability (Harvard Health Publication, 2015). No topsy-turvy to reach outside my base of support. The age-old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” comes to mind. It’s timeless and still holds true today.
PRESERVE
Preserve joints for the demands of a lifespan with proper maintenance. Regular pain-free gentle exercises are like tune-ups for the body (Harvard Health Publications, 2015, 2017). Purposeful activities such as sewing, cooking, jig-saw puzzles, and watercolor painting, are exercises that keep my hands, body, and even mind active.
On low-energy days, I simply open and close my hands and wiggle my fingers which rids stiffness, increases circulation and improves sensation (Harvard Health Publications, 2015, 2017). Most crucially, I do something not nothing!
To eliminate growing pains in the garden, I use joint protection principles. More ease, more comfort, and improved function are possible with occupational therapy tips (Deshaies, 2017; Harvard Health Publication, 2015, 2017).
I protect and prevent damage to my joints and preserve them for the long-haul of a lifetime. Consistent use of joint protection strategies within an occupational therapy frame-of-reference help lessen the demands of gardening, so I can enjoy the fruits of my labor for many years to come.
For more information about occupational therapy, ask your primary care physician or just log onto the American Occupational Therapy Association’s website at www.aota.org and click on the tab, “About Occupational Therapy.”
If you found this post helpful or have any suggestions, please leave a comment below or click on “comment” near the title . And, happy gardening to you.
As a takeaway, I’d like to leave you with this lovely poem,
The Gardener’s Prayer—
O Lord, grant that in some way it may rain every day, say from about midnight until three o’clock in the morning. But, You see, it must be gentle and warm so that it can soak in. Grant that at the same time it would not rain on campion, alyssum, helianthus, lavendar, and others; which You in Your infinite wisdom know are drought-loving plants. I will write their names on a bit of paper if you like.
And grant that the sun may shine the whole day long. But not everywhere (not, for instance, on the gentian, plantain lily, and rhododendron) and not too much. That there may be plenty of dew and little wind, enough worms, no lice and snails, or mildew, and that once a week thin liquid manure and guano may fall from heaven. Amen.
References
Capek Chod, K.M. (n.d.). The Gardener’s Poem. PoemHunter.com. Retrieved July 9, 2018, from poemhumter.com Web site:
https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/gardener-s-prayer/#content
Deshaies, L. (2017). Arthritis. In H. M. Pendleton & W. Schultz-Krohn (Eds.), Pedretti’s occupational therapy: practice skills for physical dysfunction (8th ed., pp. 945-971). St. Louis, MO: The Mosby Company.
Healthy hands: Strategies for strong, pain free hands. (2015). (Retrieved May 1, 2018). Boston: Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from Nursing & Allied Health Database. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1746623186?accountid=143111
Living well with osteoarthritis : A guide to keeping your joints healthy. (2017). (Retrieved July 10, 2018). Boston: Harvard Health Publications. Retrieved from Nursing & Allied Health Database Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1992960995?accountid=143111
Lorig, K, and Fries, J.F. (2006). The arthritis help book: A tested self-management program for coping with arthritis and fibromyalgia. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press.
Moliere Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved July 3, 2018, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/moliere_378425
Thank you for the helpful information. My wife has arthritis and loves to garden, so these helpful tips will pay dividends. I just love your work and I learn so much from reading your posts. Thanks for now and I’m looking forward to reading the next one.
So glad you benefited from reading my post and that it will make a positive difference in your wife’s life as well as your own. I’m glad you’ll be looking forward to reading my next post and until then, “embrace independence & love life.”