By Dr. Phil Facquet III
Father Winter is about to throw some potentially deep, heavy snow our way, if the meteorologists are correct this time. So it is time to break out the snow blowers, shovels and ice melt.
I was asked by Smithtown Matters, what the best way to avoid injury while shoveling is – the single best way to avoid injury is to pay someone else to do it or exercise the option of forcing or using guilt to have your kids do it. If you have a snow blower – use it; however, use a stick, not your hands, to clear debris from the blades or chute. For most of us, now regretting putting off that decision to buy a snow blower, it will be time to dig.
If your body is in good physical condition and you have kept up with regular exercise you will have less of a chance to injure yourself than the couch potato; however, snow shoveling has the potential for spasms, strains, sprains and other more serious health problems for all of us. If you have known cardiac problem remember what your doctor has told you about exercising, avoiding exertion, in cold weather.
Here are some basic recommendations to avoid injury over the next couple of days:
· Dress in layers and wear a hat and scarf – you want to keep warm and avoid frostbite.
· Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before going outdoors or when outside
· If you feel chest pain or short of breath or are excessively tired – STOP and seek immediate medical care.
· Use your legs and arms to lift, not just your back.
· Bend your knees when lifting and moving the snow.
· Avoid bending and twisting when tossing a shovel of heavy snow. This can aggravate lower back discs.
· Stretch before shoveling as the physical exertion required is demanding.
· If the snow on the shovel is too heavy for you – don’t lift it. Lift less.
· Light ergonomically designed shovels can help.
· Periodically kick or tap your shovel blade to get rid of excessive snow build up.
· Take breaks to avoid strain injuries.
· Increase the frequency of the breaks as your muscles fatigue.
· Use good biomechanics to lift bags of salt or ice melt. If the big bags are to heavy for you to safely lift buy smaller ones.
· Lastly watch the slips and falls.
So after you are finished outside and sitting in the comfort of your home and warming up - stretch again. If you are sore, apply an ice bag to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for a couple of hours. Repeat a couple of times each day over the next day or two. If you continue to feel soreness, pain or strain after following these tips, it may be time to visit a doctor of chiropractic.
Philip Facquet III is a Chiropractor with a practice in Smithtown, he can be reached at drfacquet@optonline.net