Two Tips for People With Arthritis Who Want to Start Taking Better Care of Their Gardens
Posted on: 24 June 2019
Gardening can be a little trickier when you have arthritis. If you want to start taking better care of your garden, but you suffer from this condition, here are a couple of suggestions that may make it easier for you to do this without hurting yourself.
Don't take the risk of worsening your condition by collecting your gardening supplies, instead, have them delivered
One of the most important steps you need to take if you want to start looking after your garden is to get the equipment you require delivered. There are many companies nowadays that specialise in the provision of garden supply delivery services, who can assist you with this process.
There are two reasons why it is vital to do this. Firstly, placing any excess weight on your arthritic joints will leave you in pain and potentially even cause more damage to these joints. As such, if for example, you buy a heavy trellis or a big bag of soil at a shop and try to carry it home, your joints will probably be aching by the time you arrive at your house.
Secondly, if your arthritis has made your fingers very stiff and you try to pick up and lug an extremely large bag of, for instance, potting mix, you may not be able to hold onto it tight enough; this may result in you dropping the bag onto your own toes, which could leave them bruised or even broken if the bag is exceptionally heavy. If your toes are already arthritic, these injuries could worsen the inflammation caused by your arthritis and make the affected toes even more sore and immobile.
In short, using a specialist delivery service could spare you a lot of pain.
Invest in an extra-thick gardening kneeling pad
You will also need to invest in an extra-thick gardening kneeling pad. It is important to buy one that is specifically designed for outdoor use in a garden environment rather than an indoor one. The former will have a waterproof cover that will prevent the moisture in the soil or grass that it is laid on from seeping through the mat and onto your knees when you use it.
This mat is important for the following reason; if, like many people who suffer from this condition, your knee joints are very sore and tender, then it is vital not to place too much pressure on them as this will make the pain worse. However, gardening involves a lot of kneeling, and you will need to stay in this position whilst, for example, weeding, planting seeds in your flowerbeds and when tilling and cultivating the soil.
If you kneel in your garden without placing any cushioned mat underneath your knees, you will quickly find yourself in a great deal of pain, which may affect your ability to do any other gardening work. Conversely, if you use this cushioned pad, you should be able to stay in this position for an extended period of time without causing unnecessary harm to your arthritic knee joints.
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