Injuries to shoulders, backs, and wrists are common for marijuana growers.A friend of mine running a 10-light deep water culture net-supported cannabis garden tells me he has excruciating pain in his knees, hands, and shoulders.
He says this pain comes from injuries he’s gotten because of growing marijuana.
“To tend, trim, thin, and harvest net-supported plants, you have to crawl in under the trellis nets. You can’t stand up. You get caught in the nets,” he explained. “I do most of my work in that grow op kneeling, reaching up, pushing nets out of the way. That’s where the injuries came from.
What marijuana growers learn is that operating a grow room can produce damage to knees, elbows, arms, shoulders, wrists, fingers, neck, and other body parts.
The injuries could come in a sudden accident, such as a light stand falling on you, or you get burned by a high-intensity discharge (HID) grow light.
Injuries could be the result of repetitive motions.
For example, marijuana growers who do their own harvesting, bud trimming, and manicuring might end up with arthritis in their hands, carpal-tunnel syndrome in their wrists, “tennis elbow,” worn or torn rotator cuffs in the shoulders, and similar overuse injuries.
Sprains and strains are also common with marijuana growers.
One of the most common complaints I hear is lower back pain from hoisting bales of soilless mix, or moving plants that have heavy root balls.
Marijuana growers who don’t do regular exercise often find themselves sore or injured after building a new grow room or spending a day transplanting, harvesting, or trimming.
The work involves lifting, stretching, building things, using tools, and otherwise engaging musculoskeletal functions that might not be used often by most marijuana growers.
The good news is overcoming existing injuries and preventing new ones is part of an overall fitness program that benefits marijuana growers in many ways.
We recommend growers get into yoga, Pilates, martial arts, and weightlifting.
Of these, yoga and Pilates are specifically intended to stretch and realign the body so it’s less likely to be injured and more likely to heal after being injured.
Martial arts, weight lifting, cross-fit and other exercise workouts are intended to strengthen core muscles and auxiliary muscles so marijuana growers have more strength and endurance.
If you’re running a big grow op and have no choice but to be on your hands and knees for hours under netting, you have to adjust yourself throughout the work period.
This means taking breaks to soak your hands in Epsom salts. Or get into a hot bath or Jacuzzi with Epsom salts.
Take a break and do some yoga or Pilates.
Engage the services of a bodyworker. Look for a massage therapist or Rolfer who promises realignment and pain relief, not just the typical feel-good massage.
Have a sauna or steam bath.
Use anti-inflammatory herbs, spices, and foods as described in this article.
Of course, marijuana is a fantastic muscle relaxer, pain reliever, and anti-inflammatory!
Instead of smoking weed all day though, make a topical oil, or cannabis capsules, and give yourself a pain-relieving medical marijuana maintenance high rather than a full-on stone.
Grow cannabis strains high in CBD (cannabidiol), which is known to alleviate pain and muscle spasms.
If you follow the advice in this fitness and safety article and still find yourself in pain, read this article about finding a grow helper.
Marijuana growing is hard work. Check the links in this article, watch the videos, and treat yourself with kindness as you grow the kind herb.
