By The vegetable garden helps reduce chronic pain. Many people have gardens, enjoying the bounty of their fresh produce. They enjoy digging their hands in the dirt and take satisfaction in what grows after working in it. What many people may not realize is that gardening can have a beneficial impact for those suffering chronic pain. Recent research has given a big thumbs-up to the idea of gardening to help those with chronic pain.
Research in the April 2017 issue of Pain Medicine, shared the findings of a study that was conducted to learn about the impact of horticulture therapy and therapeutic horticulture has on those with chronic pain (1). They report that both types have shown positive effects on patients’ well-being. But therapeutic horticulture is easier to implement, reason why it is the focus of their study.
To conduct the study, they created a vegetable garden program at the Geisinger Medical Center.
The patients would work on the garden. The physicians also hoped that the garden would attract the patients to eat healthier, become more active, have more social interaction. Also they gain more confidence in being able to shine despite their chronic pain.
Calling it The Garden of Hope, during the last harvest of 2016, the patients had grown almost 200 pounds of produce, which they took home with them.
What researchers found is that having patients work in the vegetable garden had a positive impact on them. Those chronic pain patients who had gardening sessions as part of their program had a significant reduction in anxiety, distress, fatigue, and depression. As well as, they became more socially active. In addition, they increase the ability to manage their chronic pain. They also had lowered their stress levels compared to those patients who did not participate in the vegetable gardening sessions.
They concluded that being active in nature and gardening has significant mental and physical health benefits. So,they recommend patients who would like holistic approaches to managing their chronic pain be introduced to this activity.
Knowing that the passive time in nature and the act of engaging in gardening can have such a significant positive impact on patients. Medical centers offering pain management may want to follow the Geisinger Medical Center model of creating a vegetable garden. In fact they included sessions in their treatment plan. For those suffering chronic pain and like the idea of gardening, they can check a local medical center. They can find a community garden or start even a small one in their own backyard.
Gardening can provide access to low cost, organic produce, that helps people eat healthier. Also, it can help them reduce their chronic pain and improve their overall well-being.
Sources:
1. Pain Medicine. Vegetable Garden as Therapeutic Horticulture for Patients with Chronic Pain. https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/pm/pnx065
