Gardening is a great activity that boosts mental and physical health. However, for people living with arthritis, traditional gardening methods and tools often lead to increased aches, pains and stiffness. Here are some tips for gardening with arthritis, including how to adapt activities and choose tools to help with arthritis pain relief and prevention while gardening.
Health Benefits of Gardening
Working in the garden is fun and good for your health. Gardening provides an excellent source of exercise and has several mental and physical health benefits, including:
- Decreased risk for anxiety and depression
- Gains in flexibility and strength
- Improved blood pressure management
- Increased quality of life
- Lowering the risk of obesity
Gardening with all types of arthritis, including osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, can often be challenging due to increased joint pain, stiffness or swelling. However, there are many modifications, techniques and tools that allow people with arthritis to continue, or start, gardening successfully.
Here are nine tips to make gardening easier for people living with arthritis.
1. Warm Up and Cool Down
Gardening can relieve mental stress, but it also puts stress on your joints. Warming up before gardening lubricates your joints, aiding in joint protection, decreasing inflammation and increasing motion in the joints. Slowly stretch all major joints, including those in your ankles, back, hands, legs and shoulders. You only need a few repetitions of each stretch. Repeating stretches after gardening helps maintain flexibility and range of motion as well.
2. Take Your Gardening to a New Level
Low-hanging baskets, flower boxes, raised beds or tabletop gardens help you avoid unnecessary bending, kneeling or reaching. This helps reduce the strain often caused by many traditional gardening methods or tools. These gardens also tend to be lower maintenance because they often have better aeration and don’t need as much weeding. Hardy, native or slow-growing plants are also good options for designing low-maintenance gardens.
3. Choose Your Tools Wisely
There are several gardening tools designed with arthritis pain in mind. Look for long-handled tools with easy-to-grip handles. These tools decrease the need to bend, hold your hands in uncomfortable positions or kneel, which can lead to increased arthritis pain. When a short-handled tool is needed, choose one with a curved handle that prevents unnecessary twisting of your fingers or wrists. Adding a rubber sleeve over tool handles or wearing gardening gloves can also decrease strain and prevent your hands from slipping.Â
If you need to kneel, use a kneeling pad or wear knee pads designed for gardening to protect knee joints. To ease the challenge and pain of standing back up, look for a kneeling bench with side rails. Some of these kneelers can also be turned over to use as gardening seats.
4. Keep Things Light
Get a smaller bag of compost or potting soil to avoid lifting heavy bags of dirt. If you can, use a garden hose instead of a bulky watering can. When you need to move something heavy, use a cart with large wheels or a wheelbarrow to push heavier items instead of carrying them. Don’t rush—your plants are not going anywhere. Take your time and take breaks after moving heavier things if you need to.
5. Pay Attention to Body Mechanics and Posture
Good body mechanics and posture while gardening can decrease fatigue and joint and muscle pain. It also lowers the risk of injury. Follow these tips for avoiding injury, maintaining good posture and reducing arthritis pain:
- Alternate activities to prevent repetitive strain.
- Avoid twisting your lower back, especially while bending or lifting.
- Change positions frequently.
- If you’re sitting, bend forward at your hips and keep your back straight.
- If you need to carry something, keep it close to your body.
- Kneel on one knee instead of two.
- When picking things up, bend your knees and keep your back straight.
6. Brace Yourself
If you know your knees, wrists or other joints are susceptible to injury or pain, talk with your health care provider about wearing a brace while gardening to support the joint. Additionally, choose shoes that fit well and provide the proper amount of support to prevent inflammation and pain in your back, feet, hips and knees.
7. Make a Plan for Arthritis Pain Relief
Planning ahead can help protect your energy and prevent inflammation and worsening arthritis pain. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish that day and stick to it. Taking on too much can lead to increased fatigue, inflammation and arthritis pain. Gather all the tools and other items you need before you start gardening. Doing so can prevent extra trips back and forth to your garage or gardening shed.
If your health care provider has prescribed or recommended prescription or over-the-counter medications to manage your arthritis pain, take it on schedule as directed. This can help you stay in front of pain. Check with your provider before trying any new medications or supplements for arthritis pain relief.
If you have more energy at certain times of the day, plan to do gardening then. Schedule breaks and use an alarm on your phone or a portable kitchen timer to ensure you don’t lose track of time. You may not feel muscle soreness until after you’re done gardening. Take a break even if you don’t feel aches, pains or soreness when the alarm goes off.
8. Remember That You Need Watering, Too
Dehydration happens when your body loses fluid faster than you’re taking it in. When this happens, your body can’t function as it should. In people with arthritis, dehydration may lead to increased joint pain due to less protective fluid in the joints, reduced blood flow to muscles and not enough fluid in the cartilage, the protective tissue around the ends of bones.Â
To prevent dehydration, make staying hydrated a habit. Drink plenty of water throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty. If you’re thirsty, you may already be dehydrated. Gardening in warm or hot weather causes your body to lose fluid faster. Always keep a water bottle on hand.
9. Know When to Ask for Help
When you have arthritis, some joint pain, stiffness or swelling during or after gardening is normal. Icing painful joints for 15 to 20 minutes can reduce inflammation and pain. Gentle stretches can also help.
Call your provider if joint pain or swelling:
- Causes swollen joints that feel hot or look red
- Doesn’t respond to hot or cold packs, medication or rest
- Is constant, sharp or stabbing
- Lasts longer than two hours after gardening
It’s also a good idea to ask friends or family members for help with challenging gardening tasks before your arthritis pain bothers you. This can help prevent overworking your joints. Plus, it can be fun to garden with a loved one and teach them all you know.
More to Read
- Osteoarthritis Treatments: Today and Tomorrow
- 6 Ways Arthritis Puts Pressure on Your Health
- Osteoarthritis: 5 Foods to Eat and 5 to Avoid to Help Control Your Symptoms
- 10 Common Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms
Medically reviewed by Natalie Chilaka, MD.
