Yay!! It’s Snow Shoveling and Swearing Season
Shoveling is really not that hard of an activity but people often injure themselves doing it when they are not MINDFUL of proper posture and technique.
If there is small, barely noticeable damage or misalignment in your spine, the repetitive nature of shoveling magnifies it little by little. And that is where the danger lies.
If you get started shoveling with poor technique, at first you may think “hey, this isn’t so bad”. But as the repetitions build up, the strain on those damaged and misaligned areas builds too.
It’s kind of like “death by a million papercuts”.
So, to prevent all of this, be mindful of the following:
1. Avoid bending at the waist and twisting (a sure-fire way to injure a disc). Instead “plow” the snow to it’s destination (if possible), and be sure to bend your knees when you do have to lift snow to throw it.
2. Be sure to engage your core. These stabilizer muscles are there to protect you.
3. Don’t “push through” or rush to get the job done. If you’re feeling weakness or strain in your lower back muscles, take a break. Look, the snow isn’t going anywhere until March or April. You can take a 15 minute break to guard against injuring yourself.
4. If you do injure yourself, ICE is your friend, not heat. Heat will feel good while you have it on, but it will also increase inflammation around an injured area.
5. Don’t wait to consult a Chiropractor. Spinal degeneration is VERY common for those over 50 but it takes 20 or more years for it to become obvious. A thorough exam will often uncover degenerative changes in people as young as 18. If you’re a normal human, there is a very good chance you have asymptomatic degenerative changes in your spine already. You can deal with it (easily) now, or (with difficulty) later.
As always, with love.
Dr. Colin