Raking Safety

 

With fall officially here, the leaves have started to change color. Soon, we’ll be raking them up. Yard work is an excellent way of getting exercise, and at the Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center in Nitro, we encourage all our patients to find fun ways of staying active. But every form of exercise requires us to take safety precautions, and if raking is done improperly, it can put strain on our spinal discs and shoulder muscles. To help our patients avoid injury, we wanted to remind them of some raking protocols.

The first part of healthy raking is the rake itself. It should be lightweight and have a long enough handle that you don’t need to bend over to use it. Before you start raking, put on clothes that are warm, but breathable, and that are close-fitting enough that nothing will get caught or tangled. Rake while standing with one foot forward and one back, and pulling the leaves into a pile to your side. You should be changing which side of the pile you are standing on and which hand is higher on the rake about every five minutes.

Before you start raking, do a warm-up of dynamic stretches to loosen your muscles. You can further reduce strain on your back by squatting down to pick up leaves or bending by tilting over at your hips instead of bending at the waist. Be careful to avoid putting more in the leaf bag that you are able to carry, and try to rake when the leaves are dry so less of your energy will be wasted moving water. If you do feel sore while raking, stop, and we can help you determine whether it is safe to continue at another time. We also are available to help people feeling tightness or stiffness by providing chiropractic adjustments and therapeutic massages.

Dr. Jay McClanahan is the owner and chiropractor of Dr. J Chiropractic & Wellness Center. Our office is located in Nitro, WV. To schedule an appointment with Dr. McClanahan visit our website or call 304-776-1520.