One may come across a number of quotes stating that one cannot reach the pinnacle, or even achieve basic results, without pain and sacrifice. As innocuous as it may seem, even kitchen gardening has its own share of sacrifices, ranging from infections to injuries and more. In this column, we list down potential medical complications that one may come across while trying to make the environment green, serene and beautiful, along with their safety measures and probable remedies.

One very common injury suffered by new gardeners, which also makes an interesting question in medical exams, is de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. The repetitive action of digging, pinching and pruning the plant or pulling the weeds can cause this injury. The impacted area of swelling and pain roughly lies at the wrist joint, between the base of the thumb and the index finger.

The repetition of gardening manoeuvres can result not only in de Quervain’s tenosynovitis, but also issues such as lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and carpal tunnel syndrome. A tennis elbow results in pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow, often extending into the forearm, while carpal tunnel syndrome impacts the nerve in the wrist. Both these complications can cause numbness and/or tingling in certain parts of the hand. Rest remains one of the best remedies to keep these problems under........

© Dawn (Magazines)