By Nancy Williams, MSPT,
Director Eastern Long Island Hospital
Physical Therapy and Fitness

Snow shoveling can be stressful and traumatic for your spinal cord and muscles.  In fact, shoveling snow is the cause of many muscle and ligament injuries and a common cause of lower back and shoulder pain. In order to avoid injuries, snow shoveling should be treated the same as weight lifting. Therefore, you need to warm up before shoveling and cool down after shoveling.

Most importantly, you should not shovel snow if you have any pre-existing heart or other medical problems. Just as with exercising, you should check with your doctor or physical therapist before shoveling snow, to make sure that you are in appropriate physical shape for the job.

Warmed up muscles are less likely to tighten up or snap under the strains of snow shoveling. You can warm up by taking a brisk walk or doing simple stretching exercises such as knee-to-chest pulls, trunk rotations, and side bends with hands above your head and fingers locked. Layer your clothing to keep from over-heating. This also helps to keep your muscles warm and flexible.

Proper body mechanics when shoveling snow are very important.  Stand erect and push the snow straight ahead; avoid lifting and tossing heavy loads of snow. Avoid twisting when holding a shovel full of heavy snow. Bend at your knees, not at your waist to lift when shoveling. Rest frequently to take the strain off your muscles. The recommended rate for shoveling snow is usually considered to be around 15 scoops per minute. This speed will help you get the job done as quickly as possible without tiring too quickly.  However, when you shovel snow at this rate, you should take a rest break every 15 minutes. The best situation would be a 15-minute shovel time followed by a 15-minute rest indoors.

Muscular injuries caused by snow shoveling can happen to anyone, not just older adults.  In general, people between the ages of 20 and 50 are more likely to suffer from back injuries because they do not realize they are out of condition.  Taking proper precaution, and using the correct shoveling technique can avoid injuries to the lower back and shoulders. 

This information is provided by Nancy Williams, MSPT, Director Eastern Long Island Hospital Physical Therapy and Fitness, 46520 North Road, Southold.  Eastern Long Island Hospital Physical Therapy is a hospital-based physical therapy program.