How to Avoid Back Pain Injuries in Winter

Preventing back pain while shoveling snow

Updated November 2016:

It’s getting colder out there.  Experts are predicting a ‘traditional Canadian winter’ for most of the country. And we know what that means.  Protect yourself from a possible acute back pain or neck pain injury!

Updated Jan 8, 2015:

Even without the current arctic storm, we’ve had a good round of extreme cold, ice and a little snow. Combined, these are perfect conditions for a possible acute back pain or neck pain injury — a fall on the ice, a disc injury from shoveling, an exuberant winter athlete perhaps trying out the half-pipe for the first time.

Besides the usual torn muscle or bone fracture, many Canadian adults can do serious damage to their backs: developing a bulging or herniated disc. This is exactly the kind of back pain condition we treat at Back Clinics of Canada.

Here are 5 things you can do to mitigate injury and enjoy your winter pain-free!

  1. SALT: Icy stairs and walkways are the main cause of serious painful falls. Keep a supply of salt on hand and use it liberally to de-ice. (When visiting others, tread slowly and carefully on their property. I’ve fallen a few times over the years visiting other people and their icy walkways/steps.)
  1. QUALITY BOOTS: Give yourself the gift of sure footing. Check the sole of your boots and make sure you have a pair with a sturdy gripping sole. If it’s particularly icy this season, you may even want to invest in a set of winter boot cleats.
  1. SHOVEL SMART: Shoveling is more strenuous than many people realize and can directly contribute to a painful back injury.
  • Stretch before you shovel or do any strenuous activity. Spending 10 minutes warming up and loosening up your muscles and joints will make a world of difference between an invigorating afternoon and a serious back pain injury.
  • Use an ergonomically appropriate shovel that mitigates stress on your back.
  • Shovel small piles at a time, especially when the snow is wet and heavy. Pushing the snow to the side is less strenuous than lifting and throwing piles. Lifting and twisting to move heavy snow directly stresses the lower back.
  • Always take breaks. Muscles do stiffen up, especially in the cold.
  1. HYDRATION: whether working outside or enjoying some outdoor recreation, remember that an active body needs fluids. Cold weather can be deceiving. So drink before and certainly after your activity. (And yes, hot cocoa counts as fluid!)
  1. Whatever you’re doing, remember to Rest when you’re tired. Stop if you feel pain.

If you do experience back pain or neck pain, call us to book an appointment before your condition grows worse. Back Clinics of Canada’s state-of-the art clinic in Vaughan offers medical breakthrough Class IV K-laser therapy, cutting-edge non-surgical spinal decompression, chiropractic care, custom orthotics and orthopedic shoes, and more.

We offer safe, robust, aggressive healing. Our technology targets and treats the true cause of pain. We are the only clinic in the world that offers the High Performance Healing System™

 

– a unique protocol that has helped even the most debilitating cases.

You deserve a pain-free life!

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