Ontario Chiropractic Association offers tips to snow shovellers
Posted December 13, 2010 11:26 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – With snow starting to fall, many Canadians will be getting out their shovels and cleaning up their driveways.
The Ontario Chiropractic Association is offering some tips to help people avoid injury this winter.
The first step to proper shovelling is to start with a good stretch and get the right equipment.
“You want a light weight pusher type shovel.” said Dr. Natalia Lishchyna, Vice President of the OCA.
She says the next step is to make sure you have the proper form.
“Really avoid that twisting of your back. Your back is really vulnerable to injury when you do that so use what’s called a ‘fencer stance’ where you put one leg in front of the other and bend at the knees.”
Dr. Lishchyna adds it is better to push the snow rather than throw it.
“A shovel full of snow is about 5 to 7 pounds so if you are going to lift you want to make sure you’re throwing it in front of you. You don’t want to twist your back.”
The OCA says snow shovelling is a leading cause of back injury during the winter months.
