Preventing Hand Injuries When Gardening [Video]

About the video: How can I keep my hands safe and prevent injury when gardening?

Gardening can be a rewarding endeavor, but it certainly can take its toll on your hands. Listen to Summit Orthopedics’ experts share some tips to prevent injury to your hands when out in the garden. Featuring hand surgeons, Edward Su, M.D. and Michael Forseth, M.D.

Meet Edward Su, M.D.

Dr. Su’s approach: “Driving, cooking, bathing, using tools, computers, and playing sports. We interact with the world largely through our hands, and I appreciate the importance of staying active and pain free.”

Dr. Su’s background: After completing his undergraduate studies at Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Su moved to New York, New York, where he earned his Medical Degree at the New York School of Medicine, and later completed his Orthopedic Surgery residency at the Hospital for Joint Diseases. He also completed fellowship training for Hand and Upper Extremities at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.

Meet Michael Forseth, M.D.

Dr. Forseth’s approach: “Volunteering overseas, in places like Haiti, Columbia, and Honduras, continues to be a positive influence on my practice. My experiences there have broadened my perspective about what I do here — personally and professionally.”

Dr. Forseth’s education: Dr. Forseth studied at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota to earn his undergraduate degree, and he went on to complete his medical schooling at the University of South Dakota School of Medicine in Vermillion, South Dakota. After his residency at Loyola University Affiliated Hospitals in Maywood, Illinois, he participated in the Hand Surgery fellowship program at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Summit Orthopedics provides personalized hand and wrist expertise

The function of our hands integrates through our wrists and arms to our shoulders; a problem anywhere along our arm may have a significant impact on hand function and quality of life. If you experience an injury or uncomfortable symptoms, our fellowship-trained hand and wrist surgeons are here to help. Summit physicians receive the highest levels of training and exclusively provide individualized care for conditions of the hand, wrist, and elbow.

Start your journey to better function and less pain. Find your hand expert, request an appointment online, or call us at (651) 968–5201 to schedule a consultation.

Summit has convenient locations across the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. We have state-of-the-art centers for comprehensive orthopedic care in Eagan, MN, Vadnais Heights, MN, Plymouth, MN, and Woodbury, MN, as well as additional community clinics throughout the metro and southern Minnesota.

Helpful articles on hand & wrist care

• Dr. Parisi’s Tips To Prevent Wrist Fractures
  Dr. Parisi has suggestions to help prevent wrist fractures caused by falls.—Read more…
• Watch the Video—Hand Arthritis: When to Seek Help
• Why Do My Hands Get Numb When I Knit?
• Safety Tips For Gardeners

Additional resources for you

Visit our Hand & Wrist Care section where you’ll find more articles on hand health, information about common hand conditions and treatments, our hand & wrist video library, and more.

Video Transcription:

A lot of my patients love to garden when the weather turns nice out and a lot of times they’re concerned about getting out and all of a sudden being much more active than they were previously, and they’re concerned about injuring themselves. It’s very important for patients to remember not to overdo it when they go out gardening for the first time. In Minnesota, there’s a very long winter, so patients are very eager to get out when the weather turns nice and they oftentimes undertake large tasks that they’re itching to do because they haven’t been able to do it for a long time, but it’s very important not to bite off more than you can chew and to do manageable tasks. Another thing that patients can do to protect their hands is to wear a good pair of gloves. There’s often times working with plants and in the dirt they can get nicks and scrapes which oftentimes will lead to nothing, but sometimes they can become infected and that can very easily ruin a nice gardening project. The most typical thing that I see is people working for hours over the weekend when they’re not necessarily used to doing that kind of activity, and then they come in Monday or in the middle of the week with aching, painful hands. So I think moderation is the first line of defense against injuring your hands in gardening.

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