Seasonal Back Pain and Injury

Fall and winter activities, specifically leaf raking and snow shoveling, can place great strain and stress on the spine.

• Snow shoveling accounts for 11,500 hospital visits per year.
• Leaf raking caused 38,000 injuries in 2018.

Good News!

Raking and shoveling burns calories. A 180-pound person burns 180 calories in 30 minutes while shoveling!

There are many factors that lead to injury, including:

• Over-exertion
• Poor posture
• Falls/slips
• ignoring warning signs
• Improper footwear
• Using
• wrong equipment
• Unstable foundation

Yes, 10 Stories

Mt. Ranier National Park in Washington received 1,224.5 inches of snow fall in a year (February 1971-February 1972). That's a high as a 10-story building.

Preventing Seasonal Injuries

• Stretch - pay attention to neck, back, a nd shoulder muscles.
• Maintain an upright position and avoid twisting.
• Bend from the knees, not the back
• Choose an . appropriate sized shovel-rake
• Take frequent breaks
• Shoveling
• Push the snow, do not lift it
• Don't overload the shovel
• Raking
• Don't over-reach, use small strokes
• Don't lift heavy bags.