Basically, one of the central causes for lower back pain is attempting something as straightforward as shoveling snow improperly. What’s more, snow shoveling back pain is an annual event for a number of people in the colder regions in our culture. Not only that, shoveling snow might be a pretty stressful experience for your back, combined with freezing temperatures might create a lot of amount of back pain.
Advantageously, there are a a number of things you can do to prevent back pain while shoveling snow. Not to mention back pain and shoulder problems can be prevented if individuals simply knew the basic tips of shoveling snow.
Accordingly, here are some marvelous tips on how to prevent back pain while shoveling snow.
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Normally, experts recommend metal or aluminum shovels rather than plastic shovels because metal will more often than not last longer and can support heavier loads of snow. What’s more, metal or aluminum shovels have stronger edges than plastic shovels that can be able to dig down to the pavement and be utilized to scrape frozen icewater that’s melted from the sidewalk or driveway. Technically, you want wet snow to slide off the shovel just as easily as dryer snow so you may desire to buy a metal one with a coating of Teflon or enamel as this will decrease the snow sticking to the shovel and aid it to slide off.
The shovel handle should be shaped like a semi-circle and the shovel shaft can be made of metal or wood, either will be fine. Without doubt, a shovel built like this will assist you to leverage the snow you shovel and can be utilized to for pushing snow or scraping ice, also it can be held easily for longer periods of time. Finally, make sure that the shaft has enough length for you to shovel snow while standing upright as excessive bending over at the back is what produces back pain usually.
In essence, you should scoop in a forward motion and step in the direction you throw the snow to avoid back pain the day after shoveling snow. Many shovel blades range between 1 foot to 1 1/2 feet wide and since blade width determines how many passes it will take you to clear off the sidewalk or driveway but also how heavy each load of snow is; the width of the shovel blade is considerably important. Bear in mind, a 1 1/2 foot wide blade will make the job shorter still, it’s definitely easier to lift with a 1 foot wide blade since there will be less weight per shovel load.
Certainly, you can find a lot of various kinds of shovels at your local hardware store, Lowes, Home Depot, and many other stores for $15 to $65 oftentimes. Without doubt, metal or aluminum blades are more expensive but also more durable and will last longer than plastic blades. Furthermore, you should consider a good pair of work gloves to protect your hands and to keep them warm while you are shoveling snow.
Think this over, to avoid lower back pain and/or back injuries you need to lift with your legs and not your lower back. In addition, when you shovel the snow off your sidewalk or driveway don’t turn your body or trunk rather than step in the direction you are throwing the snow. Undoubtedly, shoveling snow is a very stressful exercise for your body so take your time and lift small loads of snow. Also, take as many breaks as you need to get warm while you work by going inside if called for. In conclusion, if you feel any pain whatsoever, please stop due to the fact that back pain and back injuries develop because the vertebrae is not meant to have weight put on it in an unbalanced manner while being the body or trunk is rotated and shoveling snow improperly can cause this situation.
Jesse is the co-founder and visionary CEO of The Healthy Back Institute®, the world-leading source of natural back pain solutions. His mission as a former back pain sufferer is to help others live pain free without surgery and pharmaceuticals.
