Winter weather can pack a punch. With this season’s frequent and heavy snowfalls in the Okanagan, shovels are getting quite a workout, but digging out from all this snow can easily lead to a back injury.
“It can be pretty serious,” Kelowa chiropractor Dr. Mike Schmidt said. “You can herniate a disc which, if severe enough, can even cause paralysis to the legs.”
Schmidt says every time there’s a snowfall, he sees patients who have injured their back from the repetitive nature of shovelling.
“It is usually asymmetric,” Schmidt said. “Not many people are good at shovelling both ways. They are usually good at shovelling in one direction but not in both directions – consequently one side of the back gets tighter and sore.”
The good news is there are shovelling techniques that do reduce the chance of injuries. One of them is pushing the snow instead of lifting it.
“If you do have to throw snow because there’s too much of it then you want to throw it straight as opposed to turning your body and throwing it over your shoulder sort of thing,” Schmidt said.
Bending your knees is also important in preventing injuries.
“You also want to use your legs as much as possible and hinge at your hips,” Schmidt said. “Keep your lower back flat, so you don’t want to round your back. As soon as you round your back that is when the real damage can happen.”