Clever Tool Tips for Arthritic Gardeners

You have arthritis. Gardening is hard work. Still, you love it. You like to keep active. Unfortunately, you know you can't be as active as you might like without injuring yourself. How you choose and use gardening tools matters. In fact, when you have arthritis, it can mean the difference between actively pursuing your favorite hobby or calling it quits. Be careful out there. Enjoy yourself in the garden. Don't let it cripple you for life.

Take it easy. I've had rheumatoid arthritis since I was young. So far, I'm controlling it by using common sense and natural healing. Part of that common sense is using garden tools wisely. When I pick up a rake, hoe, or shovel, I may not do it with the same gusto as someone without arthritis. I know that asking my body to adapt to something new too quickly results in days of bed rest. So I give my body time to get used to the motion of tools. I increase intensity gradually.

Watch the time. You may have been gardening your whole life. Now you have arthritis. You might not want to admit that changes things, but it does. Before arthritis hit, you could shovel for eight hours a day without any problems. Don't let pride lead to injury. That's just not a wise thing to do any more. Pay attention to the time and your body's signals when using tools for heavy garden work. Figure out your time limit and stick to it.

Keep your tools honed. Shovels place less stress on the body when they've been sharpened. This is true whether you have arthritis or not. The same goes for other garden tools. The better you maintain your tools, the better they do their job. This means less stress on your body. My Dad made a big deal out of telling me to maintain tools as a kid. I thought his advice was just about saving money. Now that I have arthritis, I can see the importance even more clearly.

Use the right tool for the job. Here's another thing my Dad always told me. I wish I'd listened sooner. I can't count the number of times I've been injured due to using the wrong tool. Gardening tools are expensive. They're a lot cheaper than hospital bills, though. Most gardening tools require repetitive motion. Choose the wrong tool and you're doing the wrong thing over and over. Using the wrong tool repeatedly is a fine way to permanently injure yourself.

Make tools comfortable for you. When you have arthritis, you use tools differently. I adapt gardening tools so I can use them more easily. Wrapping foam around tool handles helps me grip them better. Without arthritis, it's easy to use either long or short handled tools. With it, buying short handled tools is a better fit for my height. It's less stress on the arthritis affected joints. I also stick to hand tools. The vibration of the power tools is too painful. How you choose and use garden tools matters greatly when you have arthritis. Enjoy your hobby, but take care of yourself above all.

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