With the arrival of the season’s first heavy snowfall, most people will have trudged outside this weekend, armed with a shovel, and cleared their driveway.
While some may enjoy the activity, most rush to get the work done quickly, frustrated with the weather’s oblivion to their weekend plans.
But snow shoveling is not an Olympic sport, and most of us don’t have the muscle power to sustain moving heavy loads at a constant pace without hurting afterwards.
“It’s physical labour, and you need to be in shape, make sure you have strong muscles and lift with the correct technique,” said physiotherapist Chad Burden at Summit Physiotherapy.
Come winter time, more people visit his St. Albert clinic complaining about back pain, Burden said. Whether all of these cases are due to lifting snow he couldn’t say, but he added that the activity often worsens existing pains.
He advises that people take it slow, find a partner to help and don’t do everything at once.
“Maybe just do half the driveway at one time and then the other half in the afternoon,” he said.
“Take smaller scoops and try not to throw it that far, and don’t have the shovel full of snow when you do it. And always bend in the knees as opposed to bending over,” he advised.
The best shovel to use is an ergonomic one that has a bend in the shaft and avoids repetitive twisting of the body, especially for people who are not in perfect shape, Burden added.
If the snow is wet, it’s harder to lift, and puts more strain on the back and shoulders. Burden said people should push the snow instead of hauling large amounts.
“If you have a bad back you should put the handle in toward the stomach area and push. That way your back is straight and you are not twisting,” he said.
“When it comes to scooping you want to face the shovel as much as you can. Twisting is hard on the muscles and ligaments and puts pressure on the disks.”
Dawn Kremer, massage therapist with Sturgeon Valley Physiotherapy in St. Albert, said she sees an increase in men with lower back and shoulder problems visiting her for treatment following every large snowfall.
Kremer said most people don’t suffer injuries but rather inflammation of the muscles. Massages can help ease the pain and can help prevent injuries in the first place.
“It loosens the muscle and you might not pull a muscle if you get regular massages and they are in a more relaxed state,” she said.
“Other things would be physiotherapy if the muscles are locked up and can’t move, or heat applications or some ice. And drink lots of water to keep everything flowing.”
She added that people should check if their benefits reimburse them for getting massages and use them if possible.
For those lacking massages or daily fitness routines, Burden advises that people do some gentle stretches before heading outside.
“Lay on your back and pull your knee towards your chest and straighten the other and then do the same with the other side – always pain free,” he said.
