Star Magazine Interview | Brent Beasley has tips to soothe sore gardeners

Brent Beasley of Overland Park is an internist and medical director of the physician quality organization for St. Luke’s Health System. Beasley, a native of Tulsa, Okla., attended Baylor University, then went to medical school at University of Oklahoma and completed a fellowship at the Johns Hopkins University medical school. This conversation took place in his office at St. Luke’s Hospital Medical Plaza.

QIs there a season for yard work-related back injuries?

AWe see quite a few patients in the springtime, when people first start going back out to work in their gardens.

QWhy do you think that is?

AI think part of it is because people haven’t had routine exercise during the winter months. And the motions you make in gardening are very different than the motions you would do even if you did exercise routinely. Jogging or running on a treadmill do not exercise the same muscles you use in gardening.

QEven people who know to stretch before a run might not think about “warming up” before yard work.

AThat’s true. One of the things that I think is baseline important, and particularly for people with recurrent back problems, is to strengthen the core abdominal muscles.

QWhat types of exercises strengthen the abdominal muscles?

AOnes that we don’t really like to do — sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts. My patients find that when they begin to do those kinds of exercises, it’s hard at first, but then they have a lot more back protection.

QSo before starting weekend warrior projects, it’s good to do sit-ups and leg lifts to strengthen your abs. What should you avoid doing when you grab your tools and head outdoors?

AIf you are lifting something like a large flower pot, don’t bend over at the waist and use your arms. Squat down and keep your back straight and use your leg muscles to pull up.

QWhat other types of injuries do you see from gardening besides back injuries?

ARaking and hoeing can cause neck and shoulder injuries, especially the first time you do it for the season, like I did last weekend.

QWhat happened?

AI was raking and I ended up with rotator-cuff tendonitis. I didn’t think that I wasn’t used to moving that way.

QAre there exercises that can help prevent rotator-cuff injuries?

AYes. There are some shoulder stretches that are helpful. One is to walk your fingers up a wall as high as you can and putting your head up against your arm to stretch the shoulder.

Another one is to do what I call stirring the pot: Bend over from the waist to a 90-degree angle with a flat back and swing your arm around in a circle as if you were stirring a large soup pot with your arm.

QWhat other kinds of gardening-related problems do you see this time of year?

AFor those of us who have allergies, working outdoors can trigger reactions. I bought an allergy mask this year. You can get them at pharmacies around town for about seven or eight dollars.

QDo those really work?

AIt made a big difference for me this year. We use them at hospitals to prevent exposure to TB, and they can block small particles of pollen as well.

It’s also good to take an allergy pill if you need one, although it’s best to prevent the allergies from coming on with a mask.

QDo you also see accidents from outdoor chores this time of year?

ASure. And when you think about breaking the skin with garden tools, you want to make sure you’re up to date on your tetanus shot. You should get one every five to ten years. If you do cut yourself, you want to wash it out with clean water and soap.

Gardening gloves are also very helpful if you want to prevent blisters.

And if you use a Weed Eater, wear goggles.

QWhat can happen if you don’t?

ASplinters of wood or rock can cause corneal abrasions, and I’ve seen those abrasions get worse and require a lot of care.

Reach Cindy Hoedel at choedel@kcstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @cindyhoedel.