Seasonal Safety Tips

When snow, ice and frigid weather blast into town, watch out!  Taking precautions and being safe around ice and snow will allow for a much easier (not warmer) winter season!

Slipping on sidewalks, climbing awkwardly over snow banks, wearing the wrong kinds of clothing or shoes, and even shoveling snow the wrong way can lead to spasms, sprains and strains.  Simply walking outside in the freezing weather without layers of warm clothing can intensify joint problems and cause a great deal of pain.  As muscles and blood vessels contract to conserve the body's heat, the blood supply to extremities is reduced.  This lowers the functional capacity of many muscles, particularly among the physically unfit.  Preparation for an outdoor winter activity, including conditioning the areas of the body that are most vulnerable, can help avoid injury and costly health care bills. 

Shoveling Snow

Shoveling snow can wreak havoc on the musculoskeletal system.  The Michigan Association of Chiropractors offers these tips for shoveling snow:

• If possible, shovel snow later in the day.  Many back injuries occur in the morning, since the tissue around the spine is not warmed up or loose after a night of rest.  If you must shovel snow in the morning, be careful.  Listen to weather forecasts so you can rise early and have time to warm up to shovel before work.
• Layer clothing to keep your muscles warm and flexible.
• Do some warm-up stretching before you grab that shovel.  Shoveling can strain "deconditioned" muscles between your shoulders, in your upper neck, lower back, buttocks and legs.
• When you do shovel, push the snow straight ahead.  Don't try to throw it.  Walk it to the snow bank.
• Avoid sudden twisting and turning motions. 
• Bend your knees to lift when shoveling.  Let the muscles of your legs and arms do the work, not your back.
• Take frequent rest breaks to take the strain off your muscles.  A fatigued body is more prone to injury.
• When shoveling snow, be heart smart.  Stop if you feel chest pain, get really tired, or have shortness of breath. 

Winter Sports

Winter sports like skating, skiing and sledding can cause painful muscle spasms, strains or tears even in the fittest body.  Before you start any winter sport, you must warm up.  Skipping your warm-up may lead to injuries.  The Michigan Association of Chiropractors suggest that you start with some light aerobic activity such as jogging, biking or fast walking for about 7-10 minutes before jumping into your winter sport of choice.  Follow these tips:

• For skiing - do 10-15 squats.  Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, knees aligned over your feet.  Slowly lower your buttocks as you bend your knees over your feet.  Your knees should not go past the length of your feet.  Stand up straight and repeat.
• For skating - do several lunges.  Take a moderately advanced step forward with one foot.  Let your back knee come down to the floor while keeping your shoulders in a vertical line over your hips.  Repeat the process with your other foot.
• For sledding/tobogganing - do knee-to-chest stretches to fight compression injuries caused by repetitive bouncing over the snow.  Either sitting or lying on your back , pull your knees to your chest and hold for up to 30 seconds.
• Don't forget cool-down stretching for all of these sports.  At the bottom of the sledding hill, for instance, before trudging back up, do some more knee-to-chest stretches, or repetitive squatting movements to restore flexibility.  

After any of these activities, if you are sore, apply an ice pack to the affected area for 20 minutes, then take it off for an hour and repeat 3-5 times each day over the next couple of days.  If you continue to feel muscle soreness, a massage may help, however if you feel pain or strain after your winter activity and it has not gone away after icing for a couple of days, you may want to set up an appointment with your local doctor of chiropractic for an evaluation.