Finally it's here: the days are getting longer, the flower beds are calling, the bike is ready in the cellar. As soon as the first warm weekends arrive, many of our patients are suddenly outside again — six hours of gardening in one go, the first run since November, a long bike ride to the mouth of the Warnow. A week later they are sitting in our treatment room.
We see this pattern every year from the end of April. And the good thing is: most of these complaints are avoidable — if you know what is happening in the body.
Why spring in particular brings typical complaints
Winter makes us more sedentary, less mobile, and often a few kilos heavier. Muscles lose strength, tendons and ligaments become less elastic, and the cardiovascular system tolerates less load. Then comes the first warm Saturday — and suddenly the body goes from zero to a hundred.
The three most common spring diagnoses in our practice
- Lumbago (acute low back pain) after gardening — hours of bending, lifting and twisting with a cold, untrained lower back
- Achilles tendon and knee irritation in people getting back into running — too much, too fast, too hard
- Tennis elbow / golfer's elbow after long days of shovelling, hoeing or pushing a wheelbarrow
Before gardening: 5 minutes that change everything
Yes, five minutes. That's all it takes to significantly reduce the likelihood of lumbago. Our recommendation before every longer gardening session:
- Warm up instead of stretching — 2 minutes of brisk marching on the spot, with shoulder circles
- Standing pelvic tilts — 10 repetitions, wakes up the deep trunk muscles
- Cat-cow on your knees — 8 repetitions, mobilises the spine
- Hip circles — 5 times each side, prepares the hips for squatting
- Drink water — well-hydrated discs absorb shocks better
While working: mindful rather than dogged
The most important rule is simple and still almost always ignored: lift with your legs, not your back. What helps are small routines you get used to:
- Switch tasks — don't dig a bed for two hours straight. Better 20 minutes digging, then 20 minutes planting, then stand up and trim the hedge
- Kneel instead of bending — a garden kneeler costs 15 euros and saves you the physio bill
- Prefer long-handled tools — you work more upright
- Straighten up every 30 minutes — stretch briefly, look at the sky, roll your shoulders
Jogging, cycling, hiking again — a gentle return
On the first run after months off, almost everyone overestimates themselves. What feels easy at the start often takes its revenge two days later — as Achilles pain, a stabbing knee or burning shins.
Our 10 percent rule
Increase volume or intensity by no more than 10 percent per week. If you ran three times 20 minutes in the first week (60 min in total), run no more than 66 minutes in week two — about three times 22 minutes. Sounds cautious. It is. That is exactly why it works.
Walk-run intervals rather than continuous runs
For the first 2–3 weeks we recommend 5 minutes walking, 2 minutes running, alternating. Tendons and discs take longer to adapt than muscles and lungs — your legs feel strong after 3 weeks, but the structures underneath only catch up after 6–8 weeks.
When you should see a physiotherapist
Not every bout of sore muscles after the first round of digging needs treatment. But with these signs you shouldn't wait:
- Pain that lasts longer than 5–7 days or gets worse
- Pain radiating into the leg or arm
- Numbness, tingling or a feeling of weakness
- Acute lumbago — you can hardly stand up straight
- Load-dependent pain that doesn't go away after a week's rest
With acute lumbago we can often release the spasm in the very first session with manual therapy techniques — and give you exercises so it doesn't drag on into the next season.
Making the most of spring in Rostock
We have the luxury of the Warnow, the city park, the Rostocker Heide and the Baltic Sea right on our doorstep. If you approach your return properly, you have half a year of outdoor activity from April to October — pain-free. It's worth being a little more patient in April so that May and June are free for everything you love doing outside.
If you're unsure where you stand after the winter break — an assessment appointment takes 30 minutes and gives you a clear plan. We look forward to seeing you.
