It’s that time of year again, skiing, snowboarding, skating, lots of baked goods, and family get-togethers. But with all these great things comes that heavy white stuff that mother nature likes to drop right on our doorstep… literally, and we in the Collingwood and Midhurst area expect to get lots of it so lets review some easy tips on staying injury free from our favorite winter chore, shoveling snow.

Step 1: Buy a snow blower (ha ha).

(Real) Step 1: Let’s deal with the most serious first, worse than your back going out is the risk of cardiovascular complications that can occur in a certain group of individuals when physically exerting yourself while shoveling. If you have known heart condition or use shoveling as your only form of physical activity all year this means you. So if you’re not accustomed to regular physical or manual activity don’t expect to be a shoveling machine come the first snow fall.

• Complete your shoveling through several short periods of shoveling and even still pace your rate of shoveling while out there.

• It can be harder to catch your breath in the cold air if you are not used to it, so take your rests inside if you find yourself getting out of breath and have a warm drink waiting to re-hydrate yourself.

• Be aware of your limits and any out of the ordinary symptoms you may be feeling and DO NOT push through them.

• Lastly, if you fall into this group you are the weekend warrior and likely not taking care of yourself year round, so get active in the ‘off-season’ and exercise regularly with both cardiovascular and resistance training so that the tasks you must complete may be accomplished easier and safer.

Step 2: Shoveling technique.

• Ergonomic shovels and wide-mouthed shovels that allow you to do more pushing of small amounts of snow are likely better than a small mouthed shovel that requires more bending and lifting. Also look at shovel length, too short and you are going to be in a constant bent over position which will tire out the back quickly. Choose a shovel that when in front of you touching the ground at an angle doesn’t require you to arch your lower back to get a good push.

• With either pushing or shoveling the snow, keep the load on the end of the shovel small and light, it is better to do more lifts with a light weight than many with a heavy weight as the lighter weight allows you to maintain proper shoveling form easier then a heavy load which will fatigue your back muscles sooner, causing improper form and reliance on the passive structures in your back, all leading to very sore, aching, or spasmed back shortly thereafter. Just because you have a wide-mouthed shovel does not mean you have fill it to capacity each time.

• Also be aware of the snow conditions, wet snow is a lot heavier and as such you will want to shovel smaller amounts. On the days when it’s really coming down with no end in sight, don’t wait, get it done once and then again later as this will reduce the shovel load as it will likely be overwhelming later and too tempting to lift all 3 feet deep worth of snow on the end of your shovel.

• When it comes to dishing the snow off to the side there are a few things you want to do and a few you want to avoid.

o Do NOT allow your lower back to bend or hunch over. When you do this you take your powerful low back extensor muscles out of the equation and put all the stress on you joints, ligaments, and discs which is a recipe for disaster. To avoid this keep a straight and flat lower back which is protective for your spine. Instead of bending in your back use your hips to bend forward while also bending your knees to keep your centre of gravity between your feet so that you are not overreaching yourself (see picture).

o Do NOT lift a load and twist to the side or to dish the snow behind you, this type of rotation in the low back when loaded with weight causes shearing of tissue which is another cause of low back pain. Instead always stand beside the shovel with your body and feet angled toward the direction where you plan to put the snow and shovel forward (see picture).

o Do NOT hold both hands high up on the shovel when lifting as this makes the load at the end of the shovel feel even heavier to your arm, shoulder, and back muscles, thus fatiguing you quicker. Hold your lower hand close to the mouth end of the shovel, but just high enough to allow comfortable bending. You’ll have to get a little lower with each shovel, but as long as you are using the hips and knees with a flat back this is okay, and will actually provide you with a great leg workout.

o Hold the shovel as close to your body as possible, the farther away from your body the heavier that load and the harder that your muscle have to work and the more stress on your back.

o Switch the side of the shovel that you stand on frequently, this will allow balance between the muscles you are using.

o Lean to use an abdominal brace. Abdominal bracing with all activities is vital and one of the most important things I can teach someone with functional low back pain. Abdominal bracing uses a constant contraction of the deep core abdominal and low back musculature to stabilize and protect the low back while it is in movement during a task. To brace, draw your belly button in towards your spine, and then create a small contraction of all the surrounding abdominal musculature while simultaneously swelling the muscles of the lower back. Keep your breathing regular, this is something you hold over long period of time, but make sure you engage this brace before each lift at least. It can take a while to get the brace right, but with time it can become automatic protecting your back through many of your favorite activities, not just snow shoveling.

Thanks for reading, keep safe, and if you’ve already hurt your back or have any other questions we have many options to help you get back on the ice, give us a call to book an appointment today.

Dr. Adam George Martynuik DC, BKin, CSCS