Oh…That Aching Back  from snow shoveling- Here’s what you can do at home!

We finally got dumped on. We all knew it was coming. It always does. Living in Nebraska, we expect it. But that doesn’t stop thousands of us across the state from waking up this morning with snow related back pain.  Sometimes it comes from shoveling. Sometimes from slipping on ice.  And sometimes just walking in deep snow can cause a problem

I know that I am one of those crazy that look forward to shoveling snow.  I think it is a great exercise that I can do right at home.  The problem is that many times people are not careful when they are shoveling.  Becasue of that, you or a loved one may be suffering from back pain right now because of that storm. If you are, here are some things you can do to minimize or even eliminate the pain.

The most important thing for shoveling related back pain is, ICE.

On a cold winter day, the last thing you want to do is ice your back, especially if you just got in from shoveling.  However, it really is the best thing to do. Much of the pain we feel is from the receptors in the joint capsules  being stretched from swelling. Using ice will reduce the swelling in those joint capsules and stop you from feeling that pain. Many people suggest you alternate ice with heat. I am not one of those people This is because if your pain is from the swelling in the joint, heat will cause more pain.,

Sometimes, the pain you are feeling is not from joint swelling but from strained muscles and ligaments,  In this case, heat will increase the flow of blood to that area and actually speed up the healing of the strained muscles. However, if there is any joint involvement at all, your pain will increase because of the swelling.  If you are not sure if heat or ice is right for you, stop in and we can help you with that.

The next thing you can do is stretch

You will want to very gently stretch the muscles of the inner groin and thigh. The most important muscle is the psoas, or iliopsoas. It’s difficult to describe the correct stretch in words but google psoas stretch on YouTube and you will have many helpful people show you what to do.

 Finally, the last suggestion I have for you is to keep active.

Years ago, doctors would tell you to go home and stay in bed. However, we have learned that you will recover from the pain much quicker if you keep moving during the day. I’m not suggesting you go and run a few miles or shovel more snow, but going for a slow walk on the treadmill or walking around the house can be very helpful for getting the blood to move to the areas that need it.for healing.

Snow shoveling back pain

If the pain is not reducing within a day or two, or if the pain starts to go down your leg, it is time to see your chiropractor so you can hopefully avoid real major recovery time.