Fall yard work is more intense than you might think. Here’s how to avoid common autumn injuries, and how integrated medicine can help you recover.
Ah, fall in the Midwest. Crisp mornings, apple cider, and… raking. 🍂
It might be one of the more charming yard work chores, but it’s more of a workout than you might realize. Raking, bagging, and moving a 30-pound wet paper bag to the curb is no small feat. Add gutter cleaning and all the rest of your winter readiness to-do list, and you’re gearing up for some serious strain on the body.
Here are CHPT’s tips to avoid common autumn injuries, and how to get the right care if you’re already hurting.
Common Autumn Injuries
Raking and even leaf blowing means bending, twisting, and reaching hundreds of times in the same position, often on cold muscles. Then comes the bagging, where wet leaves are heavier than they look. Here’s what we see most often:
- Low back strain: pulled muscles and irritated ligaments
- Disc irritation: often from lifting a full bag with a rounded back
- Sciatica: pain, tingling, or numbness traveling from the back into the leg
- SI joint pain: a sharp ache low on one side, often from twisting under load
- Neck and shoulder strain: from overreaching, including rotator cuff irritation
- Elbow and wrist overuse: from gripping the rake too hard
- Slips and falls: wet leaves hide uneven ground, putting hips, knees, and ankles at risk
5 Tips to Avoid Injury When You Rake
Just like any good workout, fall chores take preparation and proper technique. A few mindful habits and more awareness of how you’re moving can help you avoid injuries.
- Warm up first. Before you start, warm up with torso twists, hip circles, shoulder rolls, and a hamstring stretch.
- Don’t forget your posture: Bend at the hips with a neutral spine and keep the rake close. Pivot with your feet, turning your whole body instead of twisting at the waist.
- Switch sides as you go. Don’t forget to alternate your lead hand so one side doesn’t take all the strain.
- Half-fill the bags. A 30-liter bag of leaves can easily go from 10-15 pounds to 40 once wet. This goes for the rake, too–don’t try to move a huge amount at once. Bend your knees to lift, and don’t twist while carrying.
- Take breaks! Those leaves aren’t going anywhere without you. Every 15-20 minutes, take a short break to stretch, walk, and drink water. Check in with yourself to make sure you don’t overdo it.
Post-Yard Work Recovery
Raking engages muscles you don’t use every day, and mild soreness and stiffness for a day or two is normal. Gentle movement, stretching, and staying hydrated can help you recover.
It’s easier than you think to overdo it, though. If you have sharp pain, pain lasting more than a few days or that’s getting worse, pain radiating into the leg or arm, or symptoms like numbness, tingling, or weakness, come in to see us.
Fall Injuries? Meet the Providers Who Can Help.
Fall yardwork can lead to new injuries—or aggravate long-standing problems. At Chicago Health and Physical Therapy, our multidisciplinary team works together to address the root causes of pain, restore function, and help keep you active.
David J. Cunningham, D.C.
Chiropractic • Acupuncture • Sports Medicine • SI Joint Care
Dr. Cunningham specializes in helping patients with back pain, disc irritation, sciatica, and SI joint dysfunction. Chiropractic care can help restore healthy spinal and joint motion and improve mobility.
A sports medicine enthusiast and triathlete, Dr. Cunningham is also certified in the Webster Technique, which can be particularly helpful for patients dealing with pregnancy related pain, SI joint and pelvic dysfunction.
Dr. Cunningham also has acupuncture training, using acupuncture primarily to help relieve pain and support the body’s natural healing process.
Matthew Clement, D.C.
Chiropractic • Acupuncture • Sports Medicine • Post-Surgical Rehabilitation
Dr. Clement works with patients recovering from orthopedic injuries, sports injuries, and procedures. His advanced training in post-surgical rehabilitation and sports medicine allows him to help patients safely progress from injury or surgery back to normal activity.
Dr. Clement also has acupuncture training, providing another option for patients looking to manage pain and support recovery
Mrugesha Shah, PT
Physical Therapy • Orthopedic Rehabilitation • Manual Therapy • Gait Training
With more than 10 years of orthopedic and rehabilitation experience, Mrugesha Shah, PT, helps patients recover from injuries and regain confidence in their movement.
Her expertise includes manual therapy and gait training, along with rehabilitation designed to restore strength, mobility, balance, and function.
Our team can also incorporate dry needling when appropriate. Dry needling targets specific problem areas to address neuromuscular dysfunction, relieve pain, and improve range of motion.
Olivia Jarosz and Ann Socha, PTAs
Pelvic Rehabilitation • Core & Pelvic Health
Back, SI joint, and pelvic pain—including problems that occur during pregnancy and postpartum—can sometimes be related to core and pelvic dysfunction.
Olivia and Ann are both PTA’s certified in pelvic floor therapy and help patients improve core and pelvic function so they can remain active, comfortable, and confident in their daily activities.
Alexandra MacKillop, D.C.
Functional Medicine • Nutrition • Lifestyle
When pain, fatigue, or other symptoms keep coming back, addressing the underlying factors may be just as important as treating the symptoms.
Alexandra MacKillop, D.C., emphasizes nutrition and lifestyle changes through a functional medicine approach, looking at how genetics, environment, nutrition, hormones and lifestyle interact to influence health and recovery. She works with patients of all ages. Dr. MacKillop is also a published author of numerous books.
Chris Czopek and Brian Ahern, LMTs
Clinical Massage Therapy • Muscle Recovery • Pain Relief • Sports Medicine
After a long day of raking, lifting, digging, and yardwork, tight and overworked muscles can become painful and develop stubborn knots.
Massage therapy can help relax muscle tension, reduce discomfort, improve mobility, and support recovery. Chris and Brian are here to support your wellbeing through clinical massage.
Explore all our services here.
Our Team Approach
Sometimes an injury isn’t simply a muscle or joint problem. When symptoms are persistent, recurring, or more complex, our multidisciplinary approach allows providers with different areas of expertise to work together.
Whether you need chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage, acupuncture, pelvic rehabilitation, functional medicine, or lifestyle-based care, our goal is the same:
Treat the underlying problem. Restore your function. Help you stay active for the long term.
So when fall chores leave you feeling more out of commission than out enjoying the changing leaves, we’re here to help you get back to doing what you love.
Get Winter-Ready
Fall yard cleanup is a preview of the winter to come. Strengthening your core, improving your mobility, and addressing the root causes of pain now make shoveling, holiday travel, and everything in between easier.
If your back is still sore after the last bag is on the curb, request an appointment online or call 773-282-6648. We’re at 5545 W. Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60641, open six days a week, including Saturday mornings.
– The CHPT team