Operator’s Manual: Gardening Hand Tools - A Guest Post

Today's guest post is from Stacy Walters, a Registered Kinesiotherapist, Master Gardener, and budding freelance writer with a passion for green living.

Gardening is on the rise, yet about one in every five do-it-yourself injuries occurs during the activity. It’s important to recognize, however, that gardening does not cause injury. Poor gardening biomechanics cause injury.

The use of everyday gardening hand tools can cause strain, and in effect be a major source of discomfort for many gardeners. The hands, wrists, and elbows are complex joint structures that are vulnerable to overuse injury and degenerative conditions. Novice and expert gardeners alike need to be aware that poor biomechanics can result in osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive strain injury, or cumulative trauma disorder.

If you’re like me, you’ve tried every tool and gadget on the market promising to make gardening tasks easier and more enjoyable. Gardeners understand each tool’s purpose, but what they don’t understand is how to use the body appropriately to OPERATE the tool. Gardeners can avoid reduced mobility, strength, and next day soreness by adopting a few simple habits when using hand tools.

Here are Stacy’s four key guidelines to serve as your operator’s manual for gardening hand tools:

1. Always use a right angled grip to ensure proper alignment of the forearm, wrist, and fingers.
   
   This is actually much easier than it may seem. For example, quickly examine the proper trowel grip. Simply take the trowel, direct the point at the target, and shake hands with it (similar to gripping a golf club for my golfers out there). Many manufacturers actually draw a map for you right on the tool. As a matter of fact, this Corona eGrip trowel is designed with what I call a “thumb rest” and a “grip stopper”. The thumb rest provides a slip resistant protruding ledge that allows the thumb to stay straight in proper alignment. Even better, the grip stopper is a comfortable hook that keeps the fingers perfectly aligned with the thumb.
   
   This grip seamlessly prepares the body to recruit the appropriate muscles of the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and neck to perform the work. I see gardeners time and time again make the mistake of grabbing the trowel toward the end of the tool as if they were grabbing a doorknob. The wrist is immediately set up to take the brunt of the work with a little help from the forearm and elbow joint. Not to mention, what do we do with doorknobs? Twist! The very motion we should avoid while gardening.
   
   

   

   Proper grip

   
   

   

   Improper grip

   
   
2. Keep the work close to you.
   
   Do whatever it takes to position yourself close to your work. Kneel on a pad, squat, or sit on a stool. Avoid bending over at the waist to reach the task, as well as twisting a joint resulting in an awkward motion. Try to circumvent working with the arms overhead, and consider working from a ladder. Of course gardeners will find themselves in situations when they cannot follow these recommendations; however, it is important to evaluate the dangers and ask a fellow gardener for assistance.
   
   
    
3. Avoid isolated wrist movements by using gross movements of the shoulder and elbow.
   
   It sounds easy enough, but HOW exactly do you do this? The first question you need to ask yourself when you’re setting up for a gardening task is “How can I position myself so that I am using my entire arm and shoulder for this task?” Quickly access how to capitalize on the mechanical advantage of the stronger joint structures and muscles of the arm, shoulder, and even the abdominal muscles. You do not need to be an expert in biomechanics to accomplish this.
   
   Typically this just means you will use the techniques provided in guideline #2 to stay close to your work, and keep your shoulder over the tool. Feel free to use both hands when greater force is needed, but be sure to use the proper grip. Simply shake hands with tool, and then wrap the other hand around the tool with the thumb on top (this is very much like the golf grip!). As you begin to move through the range of motion, ensure that you are engaging your abdominals and driving the work from your shoulder. Do not excessively flex or extend the wrist, avoid the flicking motion, and do not lock (completely straighten) the elbow joint.
   
   
   
   
4. Fit to Garden Basics:
   
   
   • Complete a gardening warm-up wrist, arm, and shoulder stretches
   • Begin with easier gardening tasks and progress to more difficult projects
   • Don’t spend too long in one position, be sure to alternate tasks
   • Wear gloves for extra cushion
   • Perform post-gardening wrist, arm, and shoulder stretches
   • Stop when you’re tired, that’s when most gardening injuries occur

Spending just a few moments concentrating on these guidelines will enhance body awareness and protect gardeners from unnecessary injury. While you’re chipping away on those gardening projects and performing mindful movement, you will also be burning approximately 200 calories every 30 minutes.

Wishing you happy and healthy gardening, cheers!

In addition to her website, Fit to Garden™, you can follow Stacy on Twitter at @FITtoGARDEN.