Early season tendonitis is probably the greatest cause of lost time for planters. It's so frustrating to start the season with great expectations only to find yourself sitting in camp nursing sore hands and wrists. There are numerous reasons and contributors to getting tendo. Perhaps the main reason is that when we think of getting in shape to plant, we think of our legs and cardio conditioning. That's all well and good, but the early season especially on the coast presents multiple challenges. There's rocky ground and cold temperatures that take an immediate toll on unprepared tendons and muscles. Getting your hands, wrists and forearms ready is super important.
There are lots of great resources at http://selkirk.ca/treeplanting/pre-seas ... ng-program
There is lots of great information about avoiding these and other ergonomic injuries in the FERIC guide - A Tree Planter’s Guide to Reducing Musculoskeletal Injuries. Take the time to have a look through this great resource. Here's a link to the tree planters portal https://fpi.adobeconnect.com/_a94432454 ... cher=false
Here's another factor to consider:
We’ve just had our first early season tendonitis injury. A planter is missing time due to tendonitis in her shovel hand.
This came about largely due to her D-handle being too thick for her hand. The rule of thumb in gauging proper grip diameter for your
shovel is that the handle should be loose in your hand when you hold the tip of your thumb and middle finger together. For those of you with new shovels, perform the simple test to make sure your handle diameter is correct.
Gripping a Shovel:
Regardless of what type of shovel you choose (D Handle, Ergo D Handle, Oval D Handle, Shock Absorbing Handle or Staff), ensure that your grip is loose.
"The Claw"
A condition caused in planter’s shovel hands where finger(s) “snap” in a bent or straight position. This is often caused by holding the shovel handle too tightly. Experiencing “the claw” for the first time can be a little unnerving. Talk to the first aid attendant and they will help you loosen your hand. The official term is Dupuytren’s Contracture.
Handle Padding and Grip Diameter
Adding extra padding to the grip of a D-handle shovel (i.e. a dense neoprene) will increase the grip diameter of the handle and absorb some of the impact when planting. However, too much padding relative to hand size can promote injuries. If the grip diameter is too large for your hand, it requires more muscle strength to grip the shovel – particularly when pulling it out of the ground.
Grip the Side of the D-Handle
Holding the side of the D-Handle allows your hand to slightly slide down the side with each impact. This greatly reduces the potential of tendonitis. Try this technique in rocky or rooty ground.