If you’re a gardener or are starting a garden this year you are probably getting ready to pull weeds, dig in the dirt and plant your flowers and vegetables. Before you get your tools out and start pulling those weeds and planting seeds, you might want to take a moment to think about how to keep your hands safe. Read on for tips for protecting your hands when gardening.
Hand Injuries When Gardening
Did you know nearly 70,000 people visit an ER annually and that number doesn’t include lawn mower accidents or hands cut by sharp objects. If you’re not careful, gardening can cause strained ligaments and tendons, stiff joints and injuries to your hands. Fortunately, with a little thought and preparation you can enjoy gardening while keeping your hands safe and comfortable.
Tips for Protecting Your Hands When Gardening
Here are some tips for protecting your hands and keeping them safe when gardening:
Tip #1 Wear Protective Gloves
Wear gloves to protect your hands from cuts and abrasions, blisters and even the sun. Gloves that provide support and mild compression can also help soothe arthritic hands. Choose gloves with long wrists for pruning plants with prickles and thorns. Fingerless gloves are great for doing detailed work such as transplanting seedlings.
Protexgloves are a great way to protect your hands from cuts, bruises and the sun’s rays (50+ UPF) and keep them warm, but not sweaty, on cool days. They are available in different lengths and with or without fingers.
Tip # 2 Take Frequent Breaks
Take frequent breaks from planting bulbs, trimming hedges, raking and digging. Gardening involves many repetitive tasks with your hands, which puts you at risk of aggravating arthritis and developing or exacerbating carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress injuries. Doing the same motion over and over for a long period of time without taking a break, can strain your muscles and tendons. Changing your activity every 15 minutes or so can help avoid stress on your hands.
If you have arthritis or other health condition, wearing a brace can also can also provide the support you need and to help reduce the stress on your thumb, hands or wrists, without limiting your motion.
Tip # 3 Use the Right Tools
When using tools with sharp blades, like pruners or shears- make sure they have safety locks built into them. Sharp or rusty objects can also hide underneath the soil and cause cuts or punctures to your hands. Always use a hand shovel or rake when digging.
Tip #4 Keep Your Hands in a Relaxed Position
Holding your trowel, shovel or other tools too tightly with a stiff, bent wrist can cause unnecessary strain. Keep your wrist in a neutral, rather than flexed, position and apply comfortable pressure rather than a death grip. Keeping your hands in a relaxed position helps improve your grip strength and puts less pressure on them.
Gardening can be a wonderful, relaxing activity. With a little thought, planning and the right tools, you’ll have a beautiful yard and happy, healthy hands.
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Our blogs are educational in nature and are not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Because your condition is unique to you, it is recommended that you consult with your health care provider before attempting any medical or therapeutic treatments. We are always happy to answer questions about products mentioned in our blogs, however, we cannot provide a diagnosis or medical advice.
About the Author:
Ginny Wolfe has been a dedicated team member at Oh My Arthritis (OMA) for over a decade. Her knowledge and expertise of OMA’s orthopedic products play a vital role in providing valuable health and wellness information. This information effectively showcases the benefits and features of their products, empowering customers to make informed choices.
OMA is celebrated for its dedication to improving the lives of those living with arthritis, injuries, and various health conditions. With a mission to deliver innovative and effective solutions, OMA has earned trust by offering products that alleviate pain and enhance joint mobility. Known for its premium splints, braces, and supports, OMA empowers individuals to maintain an active lifestyle while finding relief.
It’s great that you are sharing useful information. I enjoy reading your blog.
Thanks for sharing this article on how to protect hands while gardening. I wanted to learn some new things about protecting hands when gardening, But after reading your article it helped me to gain some new points here. Thanks.. It really works well for me.
Hi,
I am a practicing general physician in Navi Mumbai, India. I also do a bit of gardening.
The tips which you have mentioned for protecting your hands are very useful. But I regret to say that the braces and splints you have mentioned ard not available in India. Is there any way I can procure them? Say, on Amazon India?
Do let me know.
Thank you.
Thank you for the tips! Frequent breaks are a must and I do change up the chores that I am working on. Many times filling up just one garbage can with trimmings or weeds will help me stay on track. Then breaks for ibuprofen and cold packs on my hands. Sometimes I even dip my hands in ice water.
My worst injury was from repeated use of a hand pruner after a bad storm. I trimmed off tons of damaged branches and pruned waayyyy toooo much that weekend. Ended up with tendonitis in my elbow! IT HURT FOR SIX MONTHS and took NINE months to heal. I learned a lot about pacing myself that Spring!
I love my garden but over the passed two years I have forced myself into some new habits that work well with my age group. LOL
The post is very useful, I learned a lot from it. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for the tips! I absolutely love gardening and can’t seem to stay out of the garden, but lately it’s been hurting my hands. I’m going to get new gloves to keep my hands relaxed!
Just amazing safety tips for the gardener. I think every gardener will follow your gardening safety tips to keep the safety from gardening injuries.