Shoveling Tips to Prevent Back Injuries

The White River Valley, as well as the entire Western Slope, typically receives a significant amount of snowfall each winter. While this provides ample opportunities for enjoying outdoor winter sports, it also creates a major headache for you – shoveling snow. Not only is shoveling snow a hassle, but it exposes you to serious injury risk.

Back injuries are a particularly common issue caused by shoveling snow. This is especially true if you’re not in great shape. When the snow gets heavier as we transition from winter to spring, the risk of injury becomes even higher.

In general, the low back is the area of your body that is most susceptible to injury when shoveling snow. According to a study published by Cornell University, the L5-S1 disc has been identified as the weakest link in the spinal column. This is the primary reason why the most severe back injuries caused by shoveling impact this region.

If you’re shoveling snow this winter, it’s important to take the proper precautions to prevent back injuries. The following tips will help you perform this task as safely as possible.

Prepare Your Back for Shoveling Snow

Shoveling snow is a source of aerobic exercise and as a result, it’s important to prepare your body for these rigors before you begin shoveling. Even very physically active and fit people will reduce their risk of injury by preparing their muscles to handle the stress created by shoveling.

Make sure to perform several basic stretching exercises focused on the back and hamstrings. This will help improve blood flow through your body, loosen muscles and prepare your spine for a rigorous workout. In addition to protecting your spine, warming up and stretching prior to shoveling snow will help reduce the stress on your heart when you start shoveling.

Dress Appropriately

It’s important to be properly dressed for the cold temperatures associated with shoveling snow. Cold weather causes your blood vessels to constrict, and this will reduce the flow of blood to the muscles being used when you shovel. Wearing warm, insulating and loose clothing will help keep your body warm, improving blood flow and oxygen supply to your muscles.

The following tips will ensure you’re dressed appropriately for shoveling snow:

• Dress in layers – Include a water repellant outer layer, as well as underlayers that can be removed if necessary to prevent overheating while you shovel.
• Wear a hat – You lose a significant amount of body heat through your head, and a warm hat will help you avoid this issue.
• Wear the proper gloves – Make sure your gloves will keep your hands warm and dry. Thicker gloves will make it easier to get a good grip on the shovel’s handle and help prevent blisters.
• Wear proper boots – Your boots should keep your feet warm and dry. In addition, they should have good soles to improve your traction and balance on snowy, icy walking surfaces, reducing the risk of a slip and fall accident.
• Consider a scarf or neck gator – If it’s really cold outside, you may want to wear a scarf or neck gator that will help filter the cold air as you breathe.

Be Strategic About Your Shoveling Times

Being strategic about when you shovel snow can help reduce your risk of a back injury:

• Avoid shoveling first thing in the morning – You may be motivated to clear away the overnight snowfall right away, but it’s best to wait a little while after waking up before you shovel. Your spinal discs experience maximum hydration first thing in the morning, and this may increase your risk of a herniated disc due to the serious bending and twisting motions associated with shoveling snow.
• Shovel multiple times – During big snowfalls, don’t wait until the storm is done before shoveling, as this will increase the stress on your body. You can keep the shoveling more manageable and reduce your risk of back injuries by shoveling multiple times before it becomes too deep.
• Don’t shovel after meals – As a best practice, avoid shoveling after heavy meals or drinking alcohol.

Use an Ergonomic Shovel Designed for Moving Snow

The shovel you use can impact your risk of injury. To protect your back and reduce stress on your spine, you should use an ergonomic snow shovel that allows you to move snow without having to bend at the waist. Choose a shovel that has:

• Been designed specifically for pushing snow – Pushing snow around is much easier than lifting heavy mounds of it.
• Curved, bent or S-shaped handle – This reduces the bending and twisting movements associated with pushing snow.
• Proper handle length – The handle should be appropriate for your height and arm length to prevent bending movements. When the blade is on the ground, the handle should reach your elbow or chest.
• A lightweight design – The snow you’re moving is heavy enough. Using a lightweight shovel will minimize the energy expended to push the snow. Ideally, use a shovel that weighs no more than 3-4 pounds.
• Metal blades – Metal blades that are lined along the edge of the shovel will be sturdier and allow you to more effectively scrape off snow.

Use Proper Shoveling Technique

While an ergonomic shovel is an important tool that will help relieve stress on your back, you can still suffer an injury if you don’t shovel properly. Therefore, it’s also critical that you use the correct technique in order to minimize the stress on your back.

The following tips will ensure you shovel snow with the proper technique:

• Maintain a neutral spine – A neutral spine involves maintaining a relatively flattened low back position as opposed to a very rounded or arched back which can increase the chance of injury. To maintain a neutral spine position, engage your low back and abdominal muscles while you bend, and contract your abdominal muscles as you rise up. This will help you maintain better stability in your lower back.
• Use proper hand placement – Place your hands about 12 inches apart on the handle to provide greater back stability and more leverage as you move around heavy snow.
• Bend and lift from your hips and knees instead of your back – Your lower body, not your back, should be doing most of the work.
• Keep your arms close to your body – Minimize the movement in your arms by keeping the shovel’s load close to your body. This will reduce the strain on your back, arms and shoulders.
• When dumping snow, pivot your entire body to avoid excessive twisting of your torso – Lead with the foot closest to the direction you’re dumping the snow (i.e., lead with your left foot if you’re dumping snow to the left). Keep the lead foot facing outward while shoveling, and pivot your entire body in the direction of that foot when dumping the snow.
• Never throw snow over your shoulder – Push it forward and lift as little as possible.
• Take breaks – If you’re shoveling a large area, take regular breaks so that you can hydrate and stretch your back.

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics Can Treat Your Back Injury

Even when you diligently follow shoveling best practices, it’s possible that you may suffer a back injury. If that happens, Colorado Advanced Orthopedics is here to help. Our board-certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeons deliver the exceptional care you deserve. We offer a wide range of conservative treatments, such as injections and medications, prior to recommending surgery. In addition, our in-house physical therapy team has extensive experience helping patients with back injuries, and they can provide the relief you need when spine surgery isn’t necessary.

Colorado Advanced Orthopedics is committed to delivering an amazing patient experience and highly personalized treatment that will help you restore a pain free life. This includes high levels of collaboration between your surgical and physical therapy teams, ensuring all of your care providers are fully aligned on your treatment plan. This is critical to achieving the best possible outcome.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment. Colorado Advanced Orthopedics serves patients in Meeker and throughout the White River Valley.