There is no doubt that constant knee pain is a real problem for many folks – especially for those over 50 years old. Over 25% of the population suffer from constant knee pain with osteoarthritis being the main problem for people in this age group.
As a builder for many years, I personally have to be very careful when it comes to my knees after nearly crippling myself by kneeling on a small stone a few years ago!
The pain was excruciating and the long term damage is something I have to deal with on a constant basis, mainly by being super-careful before kneel on any hard surface.
I am also a keen gardener (surprise!) which means that I have had to develop some ways to avoid kneeling whenever possible around the garden – not always an easy thing to do, but not impossible by any means as hopefully the following list will show.
Tips to avoid knee pain when gardening
- Raised Beds: This is the number 1 priority in my garden and works especially well with vegetable gardening, which is my main passion. By building raised beds high enough to sit on the sides there is virtually never any need to kneel down at all. Virtually all the gardening work from planting to reaping the harvest is done from a sitting or standing position, thereby helping not only knees but also those with back problems. Also since you are not bending over so much it helps those with digestive problems like acid reflux.
- Use long handle tools: Limit the amount of time bent over on kneeling down by using long handled tools like garden forks, spades, rakes etc with a good length of handle on them. This will limit the need to constantly kneel or bend.
- Get a grabber: There are many grabber tools available that will enable you to pick up things from the ground without the need to kneel down to get them. You can buy these tools with a grabber or a magnet on the end for picking up small tools and devices.
- Use a kneeling pad: Whether you use knee pads that can be worn, or a soft pad that you can kneel upon, it is imperative to use something soft that will protect your knees whenever you kneel on a hard surface. I ALWAYS look for something soft to kneel on when I get on the floor. The mere thought of kneeling on a small sharp stone again brings me out in a cold sweat! You can even buy a small kneeling stool that doubles as a seat so that you need never actually have to kneel on the ground at all.
- Wear a knee support: A knee support or brace will certainly help in most cases as it helps distribute the load on the knee, however it will not help if you physically kneel on something hard. For everyday gardening however it may well help depending on your knee condition.
- Build a worktable: Having a good platform to work with for potting plants or preparing seeds is a great way to limit the bending or kneeling down problem when gardening chores arise. Having a table built at the right height for working from a chair, has the added advantage in that you are not standing and putting pressure on your knees.
- Vertical gardening: Growing plants or vegetables is an excellent way to limit the kneeling work involved with traditional gardening. There are many plants – both blooms and veggies – that can be grown in a vertical fashion either as climbers or as planters placed on a vertical wall. Growing in this ways means that everything is at a manageable level and harvesting crops or picking blooms for the table can be a real pleasure – without the pain of kneeling.
Another great tip when it comes to reducing knee pain when gardening is knowing when to stop! Yes indeed is can be a real ‘pain’ to stop a project just when you are really getting into it, however if your body is screaming at you to stop for a break, then you had better do so immediately.
Sometimes even a small 30 minute break for a coffee (or a glass of wine), is all the body needs to recharge its batteries and get going again.
Failure to stop working in time is often the ‘straw that breaks the camels back’ and can leave you in a far worse condition – meaning that those seeds will never get planted, or the butterfly net will never be placed to protect the cabbages!
Keep an old chair handy to take the weight off your knees when you need a short break – and do not be too proud to use it.
Supplements: There are many supplements that can be used to offer help with aching joints – even CBD joint rub – but this blog is not a medical advice platform so I will not advise any of these remedies however effective (or not) they may be.
This post is all about the practical steps you can take to avoid or at least alleviate painful knees when gardening. I hope that in this respect at least, it has given you the reader some good ideas to put to the test in your own garden.
In this age where ‘mental health’ is never far from the headlines, I would say that getting down to the garden and working amongst nature has perhaps the biggest mental health benefits you can imagine.
I would be a real shame if someone cannot reap all the benefits that gardening can bring to the table (literally) because sore knees prevent them from doing so.
If you are amongst the younger generation and are not troubled with sore knees, then you have my congratulations! However keep in mind that should life be good to you, then you to will get to be over 50 some day… Take care of your knees now and help prevent problems later on in life with sore aching knees.
