It is officially autumn, which means the leaves are falling, and that means it’s time for yard work, raking specifically. I have seen a lot of people injured while raking throughout my career. A few easy steps can help prevent injuries from raking.
The first is to warm up and do some stretching. Do some jumping jacks. Get the blood pumping throughout your body. The next is while raking, switch sides. Don’t be using the same motion over and over again. Switch sides. Do it kind of right and left-handed. When you get a big pile of leaves, don’t try to lift too many at once.
That is probably the most common time that people injure their back while raking. If you can, use a mechanical advantage, such as a leaf blower or a lawnmower, to pick up the leaves. And as with any physical activity, make sure to do a good stretch afterwards. If you do pull or tweak something in your back, your arm, your shoulder, your leg, get in here.
That’s what we specialize here in at Marcum Chiropractic. It’s musculoskeletal injuries. We are here for you, Portland. We will get you better.