Get Yourself Ready for a Winter Without Pain From Snow Shoveling
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By Rachel Amarosa
With the arrival of November, us northeasterners instantly think of the upcoming holidays and snow.
While snow is beautiful, it can also cause many problems. For one, the physical activity of shoveling snow can cause numerous injuries or conditions to our musculoskeletal and/or cardiovascular systems.
Some of these injuries or incidents range from the minor to the very serious, with the most serious being a cardiovascular event that can lead to hospitalization or even death. Research has shown that about 11,500 injuries occur annually in the U.S. due to the strenuous nature of snow shoveling. Out of these, about 55 percent are soft-tissue injuries, 16 percent are lacerations, 7 percent are fractures and another 7 percent are heart-related incidents.
The more common soft-tissue/orthopedic snow shoveling injuries we see in the physical therapy clinic occur in the back or shoulders. Unless there was a fall, then we will see various other injuries, such as fractures or ligament tears.
Here are some helpful tips to prevent musculoskeletal or cardiovascular injuries from happening to you or a loved one this winter.
Start by implementing proper warm up and cool-down periods. Warming up with a five- to 10-minute routine of some light activity prior to shoveling will help prepare your muscles and body. This can include stretches and exercises such as arm circles, jumping jacks, air squats or light or modified jogging in place. Additionally, a proper cool-down ensures a steady decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, which alleviates stress on some of your body’s internal systems.
Also, before you begin to shovel, it’s good to put on layers of clothing to prevent hypothermia (which happens more frequently than you think). Wear slip-resistant shoes (to prevent slipping on ice) and get yourself a well-designed shovel. Good shovels are normally lightweight and have a curved handle to stop you from bending too far forward. They will also reduce the amount you need to lift.
This leads us to talk about form. If you have ever been to physical therapy, you know form is everything. Precise form helps prevent injuries and ensures that the correct muscles and joints are working properly and efficiently. There is a tendency for people to lift too much snow at once while using their backs. The best position is to keep your back flat, have your knees slightly bent while pushing your hips back slightly, as though you are in a squat position, and engage your ab muscles by drawing your belly button toward your spine.
It’s also advisable to shovel more frequently to avoid heavy lifts of snow at one time. That would enable you to push the snow rather than lift it. When you need to lift the snow, make sure you bend your knees and don’t throw the snow over your shoulder. Throwing snow and twisting the shovel can also cause significant lower back and shoulder injuries or pain.
Another tip is to take frequent breaks. The phrase slow and steady wins the race applies to snow shoveling. Take a break after 15 to 20 minutes and be sure to stand up and walk around to improve circulation. It would be best to also hydrate during these breaks. Snow shoveling is an exhausting task, hydrating helps keep you and your muscles working at their best.
Last, but certainly not least, if you feel pain, discomfort or difficulty breathing you need to take a break or stop for the day. It’s your body telling you it’s enough!
Snow shoveling can be a dangerous undertaking. These simple tips will help prevent some of these common injuries and incidents from occurring and to keep you healthy throughout the snow season.
Rachel Amarosa is a certified athletic trainer for ProClinix Sports Physical Therapy & Chiropractic. She is the marketing and patient relations director for their three locations in Armonk, Pleasantville and Ardsley. For questions about her article or about ProClinix, she can be reached out 914-202-0700 or at ramarosa@proclinix.com.
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