How to save your back when shovelling
Posted Jan 13, 2016 08:00:50 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s another snowy morning in Waterloo Region.
If you’re not careful when shovelling, you could end up with a lot more pain than just a few cold hands and feet.
Jennifer Nash, a chiropractor in Waterloo, says she sees a spike in people over the winter months due to shovelling injuries:
“Those can be injuries to the back, the neck, the shoulder… anything from the joints, to the muscles, the tendons, the ligaments… but more specifically, and more commonly, are those lower back injuries.”
“Interesting fact,” Nash adds, “in about 15 minutes, we can shovel over 2,000 pounds of snow. That’s kind of crazy, right? That’s more than a smart car, for example. So we are moving a lot of weight when we’re shovelling.”
Nash says there are a few ways to protect yourself when shovelling:
“Make sure that you’re pushing the snow instead of throwing the snow. If you do have to actually lift, you want to make sure that you’re not twisting your spine. Try and move your whole body rather than twisting at the waist, because that can put a lot of stress and strain on your back.”
