As Lincoln gets an average of 26 inches of snow annually, it’s no surprise that many residents experience back pain from shoveling the white stuff. Whether the snow is light or heavy, one of the most important things you can do is take breaks. This is particularly the case if you’re shoveling heavy wet snow. Chiropractor Lincoln Dr. Spencer Brown has the following tips to keep this year’s inevitable snow show from wreaking havoc on your back.
Limit the Amount You Lift
It’s important to ensure you’re not scooping too much snow at a time. Plus, you want to have a shovel that’s appropriate for you.
Avoid Twisting Movements
While tackling the task of shoveling snow, many people are scooping it, then bending, twisting, and throwing it. That’s not how the lower back should move; these movements put significant pressure on the lumbar region.
Some practice members will experience sciatica symptoms due to a disc injury, which we’ll have to assess. Oftentimes, they have trouble walking, moving, and bending.
That’s why we need to see what’s going on there. To do that, we’ll take X-rays and sometimes other imaging, such as an MRI, which we’d refer a person out for.
Save Your Back With These Techniques
One of the most important things you can do when lifting snow is to engage your core.
Try not to bend your back as you’re doing that. Instead of twisting your body and throwing the snow over your shoulder, you should turn your body instead. Even better than tossing the snow is shoveling it and pushing it to the side, such as onto the grass.
If you do experience back pain, we encourage you to come in and get examined so we can address your discomfort.
The Power of Preventative Care
As prevention is always better than cure, we encourage practice members to get regular chiropractic care so their spines are healthy when it comes time for the snowy season and all that shoveling.
Give Adjusted Life Chiropractic a call today to book an appointment!
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