Snow Shoveling Safety

Everyone knows that sense of dread when you see a foot of snow on the driveway and know that you’re going to be the one to shovel. Aside from the hard work it requires, shoveling can result in serious injuries, and in some cases, can even be fatal. A study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital saw 11,500 snow shoveling injuries were and medical issues were treated in the United States from 1990-2006. It’s important to stay cautious and smart this winter so that you can avoid seriously injuring yourself. If you injure yourself from a shoveling-related accident, a physical therapist in Massapequa can certainly treat you and help you get better.

Snow Safety Tips

To help avoid the possibility of seriously injuring yourself, follow these steps to evade becoming one of those 11,500 injured from snow shoveling.

• Stretch – allowing yourself to stretch out your muscles and warm your body up helps reduce the risk of tearing or pulling something.
• Choose your battles – if you have the option, shovel light, powdery snow. This allows you to still make some headway in your shoveling, without risking putting pressure on your body.
• Work smarter, not harder – if you’re dealing with a lot of snow, try pushing it rather than lifting it. Wet, heavy snow can risk you pulling something in your back and can strain your legs. However, if you have no other choice than to lift the snow, equip yourself with a light shovel, or filling your snow shovel only halfway with snow.
• Lift with your legs – Lifting with your legs rather than your back allows you to get more leverage with your shoveling and prevents seriously hurting your back.

Practicing safety guidelines for shoveling not only can help with your workload but will help prevent any unexpected hospital and doctor visits. However, if you end up injured and need treatment, a physical therapist at Park Physical Therapy in Massapequa can help you heal and get back to doing what you love.

For more information on how we can help you, contact us today!