Newsletter
With the snow, comes
excitement for the activities we can do in the winter, and maybe
some irritation with the driving conditions.
Here are a couple of health tips you may want to keep in mind
during this winter season.
- For those of us that love outdoor activities, it is important to remember that the cold can make us more prone to injury. Make sure you do something (like jumping jacks, jogging in place, walking, etc.) to warm up your muscles before stretching for an activity outside. In the winter months it is not a bad idea to do your warm up and stretching inside. That way your muscles are ready when we enter the cold. We NEVER forget to stretch, right?
-
As
with any physical activity, make sure you stretch before and
after you shovel. Stretching before shoveling may prevent
injuries, and stretching after shoveling will help prevent
soreness the next day.
Take a break. Listen to
your body and rest when you need to, so you do not get any
overuse injuries.
-
Never lift and twist!
Many spinal injuries occur while lifting and turning the spine.
Keep the shovel in front of you always, if you need to
throw the snow off to the side, it is best to move your feet and
turn your whole body to the side so you can throw the snow
straight ahead.
-
The
less snow you lift and carry the better.
If it is possible, use the shovel as a plow, pushing the
snow to the side and then lifting it off the driveway or
sidewalk. The end result
is you push the snow more than you lift, carry, and throw it.
This will take stress off your back and shoulders, and it
will help prevent spinal and shoulder injuries.
-
If
you must lift and carry snow, learn how to do it properly.
Lift with your legs and not with your back.
Keep your back in an upright position without bending
over, and bend your knees instead.
-
Most
of us are not yet conditioned for snow shoveling since it has
been a few months since our last snow.
So it is important not to lift too much at one time.
It is easier to shovel small amounts of snow rather than
a heaping shovel full at a time.
It is best for our health to shovel a couple of times
while the snow is still falling during a large storm.
This may take more time, but you will be less likely to
end up in Dr. Gwen’s office.
-
You
have a snow thrower? The
above tips apply to you also.
Many snow throwing operators make the mistake of assuming
that snow throwing is not a sport.
Dr. Gwen disagrees.
Snow throwing operators still end up in the
chiropractor’s office.
Warm-up’s and cool-down’s are still important.
-
Snow
removal is best done as soon as possible.
We all know that when snow is not removed from sidewalks
and driveways it gets packed down and slippery.
Many winter injuries are due to slip and falls, so help
prevent them and shovel or plow as soon as you can.
Kelly Chiropractic, PA
Gwendolyn E. Kelly-Kohnke, DC
Phone: (763) 231-0143
gkelly@uscorp.net
Kelly Chiropractic serves patients from the Twin Cities - Minneapolis area including Bloomington, Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Wayzata, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park, St. Paul, Anoka, Shakopee, Hastings, Eagan, Burnsville, Crystal, Golden Valley, New Hope, Robbinsdale, Hennepin County, Anoka County, Ramsey County, Dakota County, and Wright County.
Thank you for visiting the Kelly Chiropractic, P. A. web page. Please note that the information located on our site is not intended to provide specific chiropractic advice. You should consult with a chiropractic doctor and not rely on any information contained herein regarding your specific condition. We welcome the receipt of electronic mail. Please be advised, however, that the act of sending electronic mail to this office or to Dr. Gwendolyn E. Kelly-Kohnke, DC does not alone create a physician-patient relationship. We will neither accept requests for chiropractic advice or treatment nor offer specific chiropractic advice over the internet. The information here is presented for general information purposes only and is not intended to be used as a substitute for medical advice.