A Painful Shovelling Nightmare!

Dr. Doug - Chiropractor
Feb 20, 2025
2 min read

Updated: Mar 21, 2025

Dr. Doug - Chiropractor in Brampton - Voted Best Chiropractor 2024

Too much snow! — Tired of shovelling snow? Follow some simple tips to protect your back!

Don't Let Shovelling Pain Beat You! Shovel Right & Protect Your Back!

Old man winter really got us this year! After a couple years of easy winter weather, we’ve been reminded that winter means snow! Although the forecast looks better for the upcoming weeks, it’s a good time to remember how to protect your back and shoulders when shovelling.

Shovelling Tips - Before, During and After:

Before you start shovelling:

Stay hydrated - You could become lightheaded if you are dehydrated.
Dress in layers - If you start to get too warm, you can remove a layer and still be warm.
Wear proper footwear - Better treads means you’re less likely to slip and fall.
Use the right shovel - Using a push style shovel reduces lifting… until the snow pile gets high. Using a lighter, smaller shovel at this point will minimize the weight of the snow as you try to lift it onto that already tall pile!
Warm up before starting - A brisk walk, swinging your arms or doing jumping jacks will loosen up muscles and help to prevent injuries.

Techniques for shovelling:

Push, don’t throw - Push the snow to the side for as long as you can. When you must lift the snow to put it on a pile, face the pile directly… don’t twist!
Bend your knees - Do a squat keeping your back straight and as upright as possible.
Stabilize the shovel with your arms and then straighten the knees. This will mean you’re using your whole body to lift and not just your back.

After Shovelling:

When you're done shovelling, you're not done yet! Take a few minutes to stretch out your arms, hands, neck, back and legs and then sit down with a nice big glass of water!

Hopefully using these tips will help protect your back and shoulders from shovelling pain or injury. But if you do get hurt, reach out to Dr. Doug and schedule some treatment and get feeling better fast!