Shoveling Advice from Our Yorkville Chiropractor

At Advanced Physical Medicine of Yorkville, we see many chiropractic patients who have back pain or injuries from snow shoveling. Although the weather is currently going back and forth between rain and snow, we want you to be prepared if more snow is around the corner. Here are some tips for preventing that unplanned trip to the chiropractor this winter:

Prepare your muscles. Soft tissues tend to become stiff in cold weather, so make sure you perform some stretches of other exercises to warm them up before attempting any heavy physical activity.

Bring the right gear. Dress warm in multiple layers. Make sure your footwear grips the ground firmly -- slipping and falling is a very common way to damage discs or vertebrae. The right snow shovel can make a difference as well. Choose a shovel with a relatively small blade to reduce the weight load on your back, even if it means taking more time to do the job. Some shovels come with an ergonomically curved handle to make shoveling even safer for your back. You might also consider a snow shovel that pushes rather than lifts, since lifting blade and blade full of snow is a physical strain.

Work carefully. Maintain a straight posture, bending at the knees instead of from the back, and keep your feet planted flat on the ground for stability. Twisting your body puts you at risk for injury. Let your abdominal muscles take some of the load off of your back muscles as you work. Take your time, and stop at regular intervals to rest. You may even want to get a snowblower to reduce your shoveling burden.

Relief for Back Pain

If you wind up straining your back despite your best precautions, stop by and we will ease your pain with massage therapy or chiropractic adjustments. At the same time, think about what you might have done wrong in shoveling your snow -- or consider hiring someone else to do it next time!

What is the tallest accumulation of snow you have ever had to shovel out of your walk or driveway?