Dear Effortless Gardener,

I recently got a new shovel and now I have shoulder pain. I was using an old, short-handled shovel that I hated but now my new shovel is hurting my shoulder. Help!

--Aching for a solution

Dear Aching,

Pain is often a result of overworking one joint because of poor alignment. If your shoulder wasn't hurting with the old, shorter-handled shovel, then you may be angling your arm or shoulder in a different way with the new shovel.

My advice to you is this: if you still have the old shovel, use it for a while and notice where you place your hand. Did you hold the shovel at the end of the handle? In the middle? Also notice where your hand is in relation to your torso. Is your hand close to your body or far away? (If you have tossed the old shovel, just pretend you are using it. You'll probably remember enough about it to get what you need to know.

My guess is that there is an old habit related to using the other shovel that you have carried over into using the new shovel. Perhaps the length of this handle, or the weight of this shovel, requires a different placement of your hand on the shovel or in relation to your body. Experiment with a few different handholds. You will feel an immediate increase or decrease of pressure in your shoulder. Experiment until you find a place to put your hand that takes all the pressure off your shoulder.

Your pain may dissappear immediately, or it may take a couple of weeks or even longer for your joint to heal itself. Don't worry; once you stop irritating your shoulder with a poor movement habit, it will be able to heal itself.

Don't forget to vary your activities as much as possible, and happy gardening!

--The Effortless Gardener