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Do you dig gardening?
By Dianna Borsi O'Brien
Don't give up gardening because you have arthritis.
Just ask Doris O'Hara.
She took up gardening just four years ago -- despite being 20 percent disabled by polyarthritis since 1972.
But O'Hara changed the way she gardens and the tools she uses.
Some changes have been fun. O'Hara now is a devotee of searching for the right tools -- tools that allow her to garden with gusto without hurting herself.
Some changes have been simply learning to go with the flow.
"Pacing," said O'Hara, is the most important thing about gardening with arthritis. "People like to get out there and push, push, push," she said. That doesn't work with arthritis, and she finds it can even lead to a flare up.
Other changes have been painful -- such as learning she can not do everything herself. O'Hara said the first time she realized she could not turn her own soil, she sat down and cried.
But she did not give up. Today, O'Hara hires someone to do heavy work and fills in where she can, using tools designed to work with her body and her abilities.
For example, she uses a shovel with a head about the size of the palm of her hand. "I can't get a big shovel in the ground, but I can get this one in the ground," she said, proudly digging around a rose bush headed to another flower bed.
Improvising in the garden is one of many ways O'Hara remains active. She is an occupational therapist and understands that she is a professional role model for many of her peers. O'Hara hopes the lessons learned in her garden will make sense for many mid-Missourians.
Using the right techniques and tools, you can garden longer, enjoy it more, with less risk of strain or injury, said Diana Baldwin, chairman of the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Missouri.
"Prevention is the big thing today," Baldwin said. But for the one out of six Americans affected by arthritis, gardening correctly is crucial, O'Hara said. O'Hara found early on that over-exertion leads to a flare up and using the wrong techniques can increase the chances of joint damage.
Yet, giving up gardening is not the answer. As Mary Reilly, a famous occupational therapist, once said, "Man, through the use of his hands, as they are energized by mind and will, can influence the state of his own health."
That goes for women, too. "Gardening is very rewarding," O'Hara said. "It makes you feel good."
The Right Approach
Along with pacing, adults have to realize their limitations when they garden.
Look at what you can do, not at what you can't do, before you start , advises Karen Funkenbusch, coordinator for the Missouri AgrAbility Project. The AgriAbility project, designed to help farmers with disabilities stay on the job, teamed up with the Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center to help Missourians minimize or prevent disabilities from the disease. If bending is a problem, a long handle on a tool may solve the problem, Funkenbusch said Raised garden beds, even up to the level of a wheelchair, or perhaps just window boxes often help as well. O'Hara and Baldwin also work on the AgrAbility Project and offer a list of questions to help gardeners take an inventory of abilities and make necessary changes.
For example, if walking is wearing, bring the garden area, tool storage and work surfaces and watering sources closer together. Consider putting in extra garden seating or paths wide enough for two so you can get help walking around.
Along the way, realize that as you keep on gardening, you'll have to keep making changes, O'Hara said. "One thing about arthritis, you don't get arthritis and that's it," she said. That means planning -- and planting -- for the future. "Look down the road five or 10 years when you're planting," O'Hara said. Before planting massive flowerbeds, for example, ask yourself if you'll be able to keep up with them years from now, advises O'Hara.
Tuning Up Your Tools
A realistic appraisal should be followed by modifying tools, Baldwin said.
To begin, make sure your gardening tools have a good grip. The handles should be large, spongy and nonslip. Often, gardeners can fix up a favorite tool by putting a bicycle grip on it. The larger the tool handle, the easier it is to hold. Spongy handles mean less strain on the joints and hands. Nonslip grips allow energy to go into using the tool, rather than holding it.
Other options on tool handles include trigger grips or tools with cuffs that allow tool use without gripping it incorrectly.
Also, make sure the handle allows you to use it with your arm in the thumb up, neutral position. That reduces stain on your wrist and joints plus it enhances arm strength. In some cases, a long handle might be the answer. For example, Baldwin said, if your reach is limited, consider a cultivator with a long handle. Again, make sure it fits.
When shopping for new tools, don't be shy, advises O'Hara. Try out the tool before you take it home. "Go out to the mulch pile at the store," she urges. In her quest for a simple digging tool, O'Hara said she tried three different brands. The tool must fit and what works for one person might not work for someone else. O'Hara was similarly aggressive when she searched for a garden cart. The garden shop workers loaded the cart so she could wheel it around the store, she explained.
In addition, a light tool is not always the right tool, Baldwin said. With some light tools, all the power has to be self-generated, Baldwin said. Also, she notes, make sure the tool is sharp. If a tool has a dull edge, it takes more pressure to put it into the ground.
Big is not always better either. Consider using smaller shovels, rakes and hoes. While you take more turns at moving compost or digging out weeds, it puts less of a strain on joints, O'Hara said. And avoid using any tool with full force. That, too, can damage joints. While O'Hara found many of her tools locally, there are sites on the Internet where you can look at tools designed to be "easy on your body," as advertised at the Not-Stooped Garden Tools LLC., Web site.
Beyond Tools
What you wear in the garden counts - but don't worry about fashion. O'Hara gardens along a busy street outfitted in kneepads and orange, cotton gloves with nonslip, sticky grips.
Along side her is a garden scooter, basically a seat with wheels, which allows her to sit while she weeds and plants.
Crouching, O'Hara said, is tough on the knees and joints. Some gardeners may need help getting up and down. One piece of equipment shaped like a U has knee pads as well as handles on the sides to help push herself up. Flipped over, it functions as a seat.
O'Hara also keeps a plastic garden cart handy. Smaller and better balanced than the typical wheelbarrow, it makes it easier to move small loads of mulch or compost without using a power grip to keep it steady. The carts' small size also keeps O'Hara from overdoing it.
O'Hara rarely lugs garden hose all over her yard. In some flower beds, she uses soaker hoses. She also has a hose carrier.
While O'Hara seems fully outfitted, she is not done yet. "I've gotten into the right tools. Now I'm getting into the right plants - low maintenance."
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