Avoiding hip or knee replacements: Protecting joints and conserving energy
Angela Hissong, Occupational Therapy Training Coordinator, AgrAbility
According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, winter is a time when more falls occur outdoors because of icy surfaces or just because people are moving faster in the cold weather to get back to the warmth of their homes (or barns). We all know that days on the farm are long and filled with tasks that can break down the joints and ligaments in your lower body. Just take a minute to consider the amount of stress you put on your back and legs when you assist a cow with the delivery of her calf, when you stand for hours fixing a loader or when you sit in a tractor for hours while harvesting crops. When you are involved in farming, every day your body is under frequent stress.
I once had a patient, let’s call him John, who for 20 years jumped on and off his tractors from the upper platform. John stressed that he didn’t have time to be bothered using the steps, and besides, it made him feel young to bound down from six feet up. Unfortunately, time did catch up with him, and at only 55, John is now facing replacements in both knees.
Each day, you have the ability to impact the health of your hips, knees and ankles. There is no doubt that farming involves vigorous physical work; however, there are many ways we can lessen the stress and strain on our joints, if we just use proper body mechanics and energy-saving techniques.
The breakdown of the large joints in your legs is similar to not putting oil in your tractor or cleaning the milk tank – when vessels are used hard every day, they need to be protected and conserved. If you do not consciously take care of your body, it will fall short of what you need it to do at some point in time.
The short-term affects are initially subtle – you can’t get out of bed as quickly or your knee hurts more today than it did yesterday. However, the long-term affects can be devastating to your back, hips and knees. Neglect will affect your overall way of life on the farm, either by slowing down your movement or stopping you altogether for a total hip or knee replacement.
One final thought: Remember to pay attention to any pain in your body. This is your body’s mechanism to tell you that you need to do a task a different way or a different day. I know that in reality a different day is not always possible, but if you remember to listen to your body it will not let you down on the farm. PD
—From AgrAbility Newsletter, Vol. 9, No. 1
Angela Hissong
Occupational Therapy Training Coordinator
What most concerns you today about the health and occupational well-being for dairy producers?
From an occupational therapist perspective, I look at the person, the occupation, the environment and performance. There are obviously a lot of environmental concerns on a farm, including people not being safe and getting injured. Cumulative trauma injuries are also concerning. People don’t think about the cumulative trauma that their knees and legs go through everyday. Footwear is so important.
Do you think dairy producers realize the effect cumulative trauma has on their farm?
It will either effect their ability to stay on the farm long-term or what they can do on the farm if they continue to work.
Producers need to take care of themselves when an injury does occur. Whether it’s a back injury or a hand injury, they need to get the proper care they need or take time off. The time that they take off is only going to increase what they are going to be able to do for a longer period of time.
