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Gardening Smart: How to Prevent Joint Pain & Injuries
Posted on 07-14-2025 in Injury Prevention & Joint Care by Dr. Christopher Bookout, Dr. Alex Coleman, Dr. Steven Kronlage, Dr. James Piorkowski
Posted on 07-14-2025 in Injury Prevention & Joint Care by Dr. Christopher Bookout, Dr. Alex Coleman, Dr. Steven Kronlage, Dr. James Piorkowski
Springtime in North Florida is the perfect season for gardening, but hours spent planting, pruning, and digging can take a toll on your body. At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, we often see patients with gardening-related injuries affecting the hands, upper extremities, shoulders, and knees. Whether you're a weekend hobbyist or an avid green thumb, practicing proper ergonomics can help ensure you stay injury-free while you enjoy your time outdoors.
Common Gardening Injuries and Conditions
Gardening may seem like a low-impact activity, but the repetitive motion and awkward posture inherent to the activity can lead to a wide range of orthopedic issues. Common conditions and injuries include:
These injuries often develop gradually, making it essential to prioritize prevention before pain becomes persistent. If you are new to gardening, it's also crucial to ease yourself into the tasks and avoid doing too much at once.
Protecting Yourself While Gardening
Protecting your body starts with good habits and the right tools. Here are simple ergonomic practices that can make a big difference:
Hands and Upper Extremities:
Shoulders:
Knees:
When to See an Orthopaedic Specialist
If you're experiencing ongoing pain, swelling, or weakness in your hands or upper extremities, it may be time to consult one of our fellowship-trained orthopaedic hand surgeons, Dr. Alex Coleman, Dr. Steven Kronlage or Dr. James Piorkowski. For shoulder and knee issues, our board-certified general orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Christopher Bookout, offers comprehensive evaluation and treatment for knee and shoulder pain and injuries.
Don't let gardening injuries keep you from doing what you love. Our team is here to provide expert care with a personalized approach to your orthopaedic needs.
Schedule an appointment today to learn how we can help you stay strong, active, and pain-free this gardening season.
May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, and of the more than 100 forms of this painful condition, many can affect the ankle. In fact, almost half of people in their 60s and 70s have arthritis of the foot and/or ankle, but not all of them have symptoms.
Hand Therapy services at our Pensacola office, located on 9th Avenue, and our Gulf Breeze location at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine (Ste. 209) provide an opportunity to treat both acute and chronic conditions or injuries of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. At North Florida Bone & Joint Specialists, our fellowship-trained surgeons work closely with our exceptional Certified Hand Therapists to develop a comprehensive course of treatment to improve outcomes related to conditions and injuries of the upper extremities, including the following:
Arthritis is the degenerative process through which a joint space loses its “cushioning” due to injury, illness or the natural process of aging. Translated to “inflammation of the joint,” this painful condition is the leading cause of musculoskeletal pain and can be found in almost every part of the body. As we make our way into May for National Arthritis Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize the symptoms, causes, and risk factors and explore non-surgical treatment options such as hyaluronic acid injections.