Leaf raking sent about 7,700 people to the emergency room in 2025, according to a LawnStarter analysis. A Clifton pain management practice explains how to protect the back as North Jersey yards fill with leaves.
Leaves are turning across North Jersey, and the cleanup is close behind. Average peak fall color in New Jersey runs from October 19 through 29, according to the hiking guide NJ Hiking, and leaves in North Jersey can pass their peak while South Jersey has barely changed. For homeowners in Clifton and the rest of Passaic County, that puts the heaviest raking weekends of the year just ahead.
The chore is harder on the body than it looks. About 7,700 people went to an emergency room in 2025 with leaf raking injuries, according to an analysis by LawnStarter, a lawn care company. The back was the part of the body hurt most often, involved in about 1 in 5 raking-related emergency visits. LawnStarter's analysis describes the underlying problem plainly: people treat a moderate-intensity exercise like a light chore.
Raking combines repeated bending, twisting and lifting, often for several hours at a time and often after a summer of lighter activity. For people who already live with back pain, sciatica or a herniated disc, a long afternoon in the yard can turn a manageable problem into weeks of discomfort.
Metro Pain Centers, a physician-led pain management practice on Mt. Prospect Avenue in Clifton, treats patients throughout Passaic County and northern New Jersey. Its physicians use minimally invasive, non-surgical treatments to find and address the source of pain, including nerve blocks, epidural injections and radiofrequency ablation, alongside physical therapy and regenerative medicine.
Most back strain from yard work eases with rest and time. Pain that travels down a leg, numbness or tingling, or pain that keeps returning every time the rake comes out are reasons to have the back evaluated rather than wait for it to settle on its own.
"Raking is real physical work, and the back pays for it when people treat it as a quick chore. Most strains settle down with rest. When pain travels down a leg, causes numbness, or comes back every weekend you head into the yard, that is the time to have it looked at. There are non-surgical options to consider first, and finding the source of the pain is where a plan starts," said a spokesperson for Metro Pain Centers.
Pain Management Checklist
- Warm up for a few minutes before starting, with a short walk or marching in place.
- Bend at the knees and keep the rake close to the body instead of reaching and twisting.
- Avoid bending and twisting at the same time, especially when lifting bags of leaves.
- Take a break every 20 to 30 minutes, as LawnStarter recommends.
- Fill bags only partway so each one is light enough to lift without strain.
- See a physician if back pain spreads down a leg or comes with numbness or tingling.
Book a Consultation
Metro Pain Centers is at 50 Mt. Prospect Avenue in Clifton. Patients can learn more about Pain Management at the practice online or call (862) 437-4831.
About Metro Pain Centers
Metro Pain Centers is a physician-led pain management practice serving New Jersey and New York. Its Clifton location at 50 Mt. Prospect Avenue serves patients throughout Passaic County and northern New Jersey. The practice was founded by Dr. Rahul Sood, D.O., who is double board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine, and is staffed by board-certified physicians trained at Mount Sinai, Rutgers and Thomas Jefferson University. It offers interventional pain management, physical therapy, PRP therapy, non-surgical orthopedic care and vein treatments, and has treated more than 50,000 patients. More information is available at metropaincenters.com.