You can dodge much of that arthritic pain - and find fulfillment and health in your garden


T


he snow has melted, our grass is turning green, and many people’s thoughts (mine included) turn to


gardening. Some love it – some not so much – and others would love to get out in the garden, but feel hampered by their aches and pains.


The dreaded arthritic joints make most every- thing we do just a little bit more difficult as we get older. Did you know that more than 4.6 million Ca- nadians aged 15 years and older report having arthri- tis? This means, according to the community research and evaluation unit of Ar- thritis in Canada, one in six adult Cana- dians live with arthritis. By 2036 it is estimated that 7.5 mil-


lion, or one in five, Canadians adults will be living with arthritis. Arthritis is the most common chronic condition reported by women and the third most common by men.


This means a lot of pain and disability that is faced by many people every day. How many of you have great intentions to get out there and get “dirty” and then regret it later?


But is there a way to garden with ar- thritis? Is there anything we can do to make one of our favourite pastimes easi- er and less painful? Many of the activities that we do in the garden can become painful, such as squatting, kneeling, lifting bags of soil and even pinching off dead flowers or pruning bushes. But there are many ben- efits of gardening: fresh air, sunshine, satisfaction from seeing the fruits of our labour.


Moreover, the worst thing that you can


Myrna Driedger Broadway Journal


do with arthritis is stop moving. Regular, moderate exercise can help your arthri- tis by getting your heart pumping and building muscle to protect those painful joints. One thing that you can do is work when you are feeling your best. You may find that your joints are more sore early in the morning, so try to garden later in the day. Or there may be days when baro- metric pressure or humid- ity make it more difficult. If you’re used to spending four hours at a time out in the garden, maybe you will need to vary your routine. It is reported that after


about 45 minutes many people experi- ence flare ups. So, divide up your time into one hour periods throughout the day.


Here are some gardening tool that can


help you with gardening, and gardening methods that also make it easier: Tools


Purchase tools with handles that are padded with foam or gel to make the handles larger and easier to grip. Or you can even add foam or tape to your exist- ing tools to build up the handles your- self.


Get rid of that six-inch trowel that you’ve had for ages. For digging, plant- ing and weeding, choose tools that have long handles. This will relieve some of the pain in your knees or back. You can find tools geared for people with arthritis in most gardening cata- logues or stores. And if you want to read reviews letting you know which ones really help, it’s useful to know that the Arthritis Foundation awards some tools with an “Ease of Use Commendation”.


Arthritis can make gardening challenging, but there are ways of surmounting the problems. Perennials


For pruning, there are also extra-long gardening gloves that protect your arms against thorns. There are pruners and loppers that provide two to three times the cutting power of traditional pruning tools, thanks to their unique designs. Container gardening or raised garden beds


It’s possible to do some of your gar- dening in containers or pots on your deck or patio. You can even put the containers on stands or wheels to make them easier to move about.


Or you can elevate your planting beds to about 24 inches above the ground and enclose them with walls wide enough to sit on. This will allow you to sit on the walls while planting and weeding. Keep the flower bed narrow enough that you can reach all areas without stretching too much.


Kneeling


If you feel you must kneel, use a foam kneeling pad or a kneeler seat – a stool that has padding on both sides. You can either sit on it or turn it the other way and kneel on it. You can also get a “rolling” stool that lets you sit while you work.


READERS TELL US


A reader responds . . . Dear Mrs. Dobbie: Occasionally I read a few ar- ticles in Lifestyles 55 written by you. In general, I ap- preciate your insight into issues and your reflections on matters affecting our community. That said, I was really frustrated to read your recent rebuttal to those who seem to think that that “boom- ers” are a privileged segment of society. Your argu- ments and case-specific points were really well orga- nized and reasoned in defending the hard work and effort we “boomers” have had to make to have some social safety net in our retirement years, often while continuing to support children and grandchildren in their endeavours to obtain education, employment and support for those with disabilities, when govern- ment services are stretched to the limit in assisting us. My initial reaction to the early paragraphs was one of, “You go, girlfriend!” Then I came to the section on Justin Trudeau and his mother, Margaret. While I know that you are hardcore Conservative, and any- thing Liberal is to be disparaged as ongoing proof of your party loyalty, it broke my heart to see your attack on the Trudeau family.


I cannot imagine what it must have been like for Justin to grow up with the news media’s feeding


frenzy on the front pages every day about Margaret’s “crazy” partying and other questionable behaviour. That it took so long for her to be diagnosed with manic depression and begin treatment to help her recover, and return to a more “normal” pattern of behaviour toward her family and community, is a re- flection of the systemic lack of services for individuals and families in gaining treatment for mental health issues.


I worked with women who were attempting to re- cover from addictions and other forms of self-med- ication (including some really questionable sexual behaviours) during my professional career. Their at- tempts to escape from the pain of their mental illness were always self-destructive. It was heartbreaking to hear the suffering of the women and the impact upon their children and themselves.


I would hope that, as a woman and mother, you would try to understand and feel compassion for our young prime minister and his family, and the trauma Margaret’s mental health concerns caused for him and his brothers when they were just young children. It amazes me that he is able to be as well-grounded and compassionate to others after having faced the public ridicule and censure of his mom when she was so ill and he was still a child. Many who suffer through this


public damning do not end up working to build a brighter future for themselves and others. Just check our inmate populations for evidence of that fact. I respect your right to criticize government poli-


cies that you disagree with, but would ask that you take some time to reflect on how we, as “boomers” and senior members of society, can support and care for our children’s and grandchildren’s generation as they take on the task of working to make us a better world, even if it isn’t exactly the way we might have chosen to do it when it was our turn to do the work needed to make society more just and equitable for all.


Please continue your good work and writing to build understanding between the generations. You have walked the walk and your experiences are en- couraging to read and reflect upon. Carole Zoerb, Winnipeg.


A careless comment


Dear Carole: You are right. A careless, throw-away comment can do a lot of harm. I apologize. My re- mark about Mrs. Trudeau was thoughtless and insen- sitive. Thank you for your letter. Dorothy


While perennials require some work, by planting them you can probably somewhat reduce the care you have to give your flowers.


Remember though that even if you have the right tools, you still must use good body mechanics. Keep your wrists in a neutral position (flat). When lift- ing heavy items, remember to use your forearms rather than hands, and use your knees and legs.


If you must bend over to pick some- thing up, it is a good idea to extend one leg behind you as you bend to act as a counterweight and prevent back strain. This is the way people are taught to pick up things after a hip replacement. It’s also a sensible plan to help prevent injury by doing some stretches before and after gardening.


I hope as you read this you are start- ing to get excited about another summer spent out in your yard experiencing, as the English poet Alfred Austin reminded us, “the glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature.” Myrna Driedger is MLA for Charles- wood and Speaker of the legislative assembly.


May 2017


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