Home

  • Home
    • » e-Newsletters

APTA offers tips to prevent shoveling injuries

Rehab Private Practice Alert, November 30, 2005

Now that some areas of the country recently saw their first snow of the winter season, therapists may start seeing their first patients coming in with snow-shoveling injuries.

Before more snowfall leads to more injuries, APTA is recommending PTs advise patients on how to prevent common back and pelvis injures. Neil Wahlstrom, a PT in Weston, WI, offered the Marshfield (WI) News-Herald the following tips:

  • Instead of filling the shovel when you first begin, start with a lighter load to assess how wet and heavy the snow is
  • Use a smaller shovel to ensure lighter loads
  • Take a break every five minutes
  • During the break, stand up straight and bend backwards slightly
  • Take your time, and don't rush (cold-weather exertion is especially tough on people in poor health who are not active on a regular basis)
  • Bundle up with several layers of clothing, including a hat and scarf

Most Popular