September 30, 2015
Pretty soon–falling leaves
I love trees, but they can’t seem to keep it together. All the “stuff” falls off many species about this time of year–and guess who gets to rake up the results?
Raking leaves, says Kaixuan Liu, MD, founder and president of the Atlantic Spine Center, requires a lot of movements–twisting, bending, lifting, reaching.
Ouch!
Ways to avoid leaf-related injuries:
–Stretch before a raking session–back, leg, and shoulder muscles, neck. Hold each stretch 30 seconds.
–Avoid twisting. Don’t just plant your feet and twist around to get to accumulations. Let your feet do some of it.
–Don’t hunch over. Keep legs should-width apart, bend knees slightly. Make sure your rake is the right size to prevent leaning over.
–As you gather leaf piles, bend at the knees. Leaves don’t look heavy, but they can be.
–Take a break every 15-30 mins.
–Stretch gently when you are done and headed for the couch.
If you still get aches and pains, esp 24-48 hours later, ice the area for 20 mins.
Another good method is to get your kid to do the raking.